The impact of digital transformation on public service culture in state administrative agencies in Vietnam: opportunities, challenges, and policy implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59394/JSM.117Keywords:
Digital transformation, public service culture, state administrative agencies, digital government, VietnamAbstract
This article provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the impact of digital transformation on public service culture within state administrative agencies in Vietnam. Based on a research methodology combining document analysis and synthesis with comparative approaches, the study highlights the dual nature of the digital transformation process. On the one hand, digital transformation creates important opportunities to establish a progressive digital public service culture that promotes transparency, accountability, professionalism, a service-oriented mindset, collaboration, and innovation. On the other hand, it also presents significant challenges, including the digital divide, limited direct interactions, potential inequalities in access to digital services, risks of information insecurity, and psychological pressures facing civil servants. On this basis, the article proposes several policy recommendations to maximize the positive impacts while mitigating the negative effects of digital transformation, thereby contributing to the development of an effective and sustainable digital public service culture in the current context.
References
Administrative Reform Portal. (2025). Administrative reform reports for the period 2019 - 2024. Retrieved from http://caicachhanhchinh.gov.vn/co-so-du-lieu/SIPAS/CA_NUOC/0
Denhardt, J. V., & Denhardt, R. B. (2015). The new public service: Serving, not steering (4th ed.). Routledge.
Hau, N. V. (2025). Scientific and practical research for improving institutions, policies, organizational structures, and administrative procedures in accordance with the digital government development strategy to 2030. (National research project No. KC.01.03/21-30).
Hoan, D. X., & Van, N. T. T. (2020). Training materials on public service culture. Hanoi: National Political Publishing House.
International Budget Partnership. (2023). Open budget survey: Country results - Vietnam (2023). Retrieved from https://internationalbudget.org/open-budget-survey/country-results/2023/vietnam
Janowski, T. (2015). Digital government evolution: From transformation to contextualization. Government Information Quarterly, 32(3), 221–236. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2015.07.001
Kernaghan, K. (1994). The emerging public service culture: Values, ethics, and reforms. Canadian Public Administration, 37(4), 571-593. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-7121.1994.tb00883.x
Ly, C. T. K. (2025). Challenges in building digital ethics for cadres and civil servants in state administrative agencies in the current context. State Management Review, 32(17).
Mergel, I., Edelmann, N., & Haug, N. (2019). Defining digital transformation: Results from expert interviews. Government Information Quarterly, 36(4), 101385. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2019.06.002
Ministry of Home Affairs. (2023). Announcement of the satisfaction index of public administrative services and the administrative reform index in 2023. Retrieved from https://moha.gov.vn/tintuc/Pages/danh-sach-tin-noi-bat.aspx?ItemID=56022
Ministry of Home Affairs. (2025). Report on the satisfaction index of public administrative services in 2024. Retrieved from https://moha.gov.vn/tin-tuc/bao-cao-chi-so-hai-long-cua-nguoi-dan-doi-voi-su-p---oid57023
Ministry of Science and Technology. (2020). Digital transformation handbook. Retrieved from https://mst.gov.vn/cam-nang-chuyen-doi-so-197152588.htm
National Assembly. (2008). Law on Cadres and Civil Servants (amended and supplemented in 2019; revised in 2025).
National Assembly. (2015). Law on Cyber Information Security.
National Digital Transformation Portal. (2024). Statistics on online public service provision. Retrieved from https://dx.gov.vn/ket-qua-danh-gia-cac-cong-dich-vu-cong-6-thang-dau-nam-2023-1690282871911.htm
National Public Service Portal System. (2025). Online public services. Retrieved from https://dichvucong.gov.vn/p/home/dvc-index-tinhthanhpho-dvctructuyen.html
NCS Group. (2025). Vietnam cybersecurity annual report 2023 and forecast for 2024. Retrieved from https://ncsgroup.vn/tong-ket-an-ninh-mang-viet-nam-nam-2023-va-du-bao-2024
OECD. (2020). The OECD digital government policy framework: Six dimensions of a digital government (OECD Public Governance Policy Papers No. 02). OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1787/f64fed2a-en
Politburo. (2019). Resolution No. 52-NQ/TW dated September 27, 2019, on a number of policies and guidelines for proactively participating in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Prime Minister. (2018). Decision No. 1847/QD-TTg dated December 27, 2018, approving the Public Service Culture Project.
Prime Minister. (2020). Decision No. 749/QD-TTg dated June 3, 2020, approving the National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with orientation to 2030.
Prime Minister. (2022a). Decision No. 146/QD-TTg dated January 28, 2022, approving the project to raise awareness, disseminate digital skills, and develop national digital transformation human resources to 2025, with an orientation to 2030.
Prime Minister. (2022b). Decision No. 569/QD-TTg dated May 11, 2022, on the strategy for science, technology, and innovation development to 2030.
Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Transparency International. (2024). Corruption Perceptions Index 2024: Vietnam. Retrieved from https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2024/index/vnm
Vial, G. (2019). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 118-144. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2019.01.003.
