Digital forest information platform as service innovation

Finnish Metsaan.fi service use, users and utilisation

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12629641
AutoresSari Pynnönen (0000-0001-5427-8209, University of Helsinki, autor de correspondencia), Emmi Haltia (0000-0002-9487-4387, Natural Resources Institute Finland), Teppo Hujala (0000-0002-7905-7602, University of Eastern Finland)
Año2021
Volumen125
Páginas102404-102404
Fecha de publicación2021-02-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaForest Policy and Economics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1389-9341 • E-ISSN: 1872-7050
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102404
OpenAlexW3128027385
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10
Referencias citadas52

Abundance of information characterises decision-making about forest use. This challenges forest owners. Digitalisation and diverse e-services may enhance the delivery of forest resource information and decision support. However, little is known on how e-services engage forest owners. This study explores the Finnish state-funded Metsaan.fi e-service portal as a service innovation. We use web-based survey data about forest owners' views on aforementioned e-service (N = 5170) and register data about Finnish forest owners. The identified factors explain the respondents' activity in using the service. Theories of innovation diffusion and e-service quality framed the content analysis of the open-ended questions of the survey. According to the quantitative analysis, owners with timber production objectives and multi-objective owners were the most active users. Forest owners who were compliant with the service's recommendations of silviculture and harvesting operations, used the service actively. This implies that these forest owners had found the service useful. The qualitative analysis shows that independence from time and place and the ease-of-use make the service more inviting. The lack of forest inventory data or its perceived low quality detract forest owners from using it. Many forest owners expect the service to replace forest management plans as decision support tool but the information content there does not fully fulfil those expectations. The study produced knowledge for developing further the online platform and its services. Furthermore, it created understanding about e-government services in the management of natural resources. Specifically, the results argue for noticing attitudinal patterns of intended users when designing governmental e-services. Further research is suggested to integrate innovation adoption theory and service-research theory to dig deeper into the value creation and service needs of different user groups

Business · Economics · Environmental resource management · Forest management · Geography · Knowledge management · Service (business · Service delivery framework · Service design · Service innovation · Service quality · Computer Science · Forest Management and Policy · Open Source Software Innovations · Service and Product Innovation · Forestry · Marketing