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Customer Relationship Management and Citizenship: Technologies and Identities in Public Services

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2008

Paul Richter  and
James Cornford
Paul Richter
Affiliation:
Newcastle University Business School, Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Enterprise (KITE) E-mail: p.a.d.richter@ncl.ac.uk
James Cornford
Affiliation:
Newcastle University Business School, Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Enterprise (KITE) E-mail: p.a.d.richter@ncl.ac.uk
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Abstract

UK public services are characterised by a tension between a model of the service user as a customer of public services and a model which envisages the user as a citizen. Drawing on empirical work in one local authority, we argue that in this tension the model of the customer is bolstered by the availability of ‘shrink wrapped’ or ‘black boxed’ IT-based ‘solutions’, available under the rubric of Customer Relationship Management. We argue that those who advocate the citizen perspective need to engage at this material and technological level if they are to be effective.

Type
Themed Section on Choice or voice
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , April 2008 , pp. 211 - 220
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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