The use and misuse of metaphors in e-government studies

Yıldız M., Dede D.

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY, cilt.42, sa.4, 2025 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 42 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.giq.2025.102067
  • Dergi Adı: GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Periodicals Index Online, Applied Science & Technology Source, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, Communication & Mass Media Index, Communication Abstracts, Computer & Applied Sciences, EBSCO Education Source, EBSCO Legal Collection, EBSCO Legal Source, Information Science and Technology Abstracts, INSPEC, Library and Information Science Abstracts, Library Literature and Information Science, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), PAIS International, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Metaphors explain relatively unknown, abstract, or complicated concepts by employing relatively better-known, concrete, and simple ones. Since e-government is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon, many metaphors are used to understand and explain what e-government is and how it evolves. However, metaphors used in e-government studies and their functions have not been systematically examined in detail. Bridging this gap in the literature is necessary and important because metaphors serve specific communication functions between egovernment experts and the general public, as well as among e-government scholars with diverse disciplinary backgrounds. This article examines the use of explicitly-used metaphors in e-government literature. To this end, we first identify different metaphors through a systematic review of the literature. Then, the reasons for, functions of, and benefits and risks associated with metaphor use in e-government studies are analyzed. The findings uncovered five types of metaphors (illumination, dimming, simplification, translation, and manipulation) in egovernment studies. The findings reveal that metaphors can help scholars create a shared language among themselves and ease the communication of complex ideas to the general public. For practitioners, different metaphors can provide insights into e-government and help translate implicit knowledge into explicit. However, caution is necessary to avoid manipulative uses of metaphors that could lead to miscommunication and resource inefficiencies. Ultimately, the success of a metaphor hinges on its ability to effectively communicate concepts in various contexts, highlighting the importance of careful and context-sensitive usage in communication. The final section offers suggestions for further research, including examining the outcomes and impacts of metaphor use in various settings.