The dominant role of governing structure in cross-sector collaboration in developing China: two case studies of information integration in local government one-stop services

The one-stop services campaign has been a local government administrative innovation in developing China in the last two decades to integrate administrative resources and provide citizens with more convenient services. Public information integration, which is generally seen as a driving force to promote one-stop service transformation, depends on cross-sector collaboration rather than e-government technologies. In the cross-sector collaboration research literature, Bryson’s [(2006). The design and implementation of cross-sector collaborations: Propositions from the literature. Public Administration Review, 66(s1), 44–55] framework has achieved an important position for generalizing former theories and factors, asserting the interaction between governing structures and operational processes in collaboration. However, Chinese practices show that benefit divisions and power structures often play more dominant roles than operational factors. Based on Bryson’s framework, this study proposes an extended framework that emphasizes the dominant role of governing structure. It also conducts a comparative case analysis of two information integration projects involving local government one-stop service centers in Beijing and Chengdu. This study attempts to reveal the key determinants of cross-sector collaboration and information integration based on the revised framework in developing China.