Decentralizing Trust: Integrating Blockchain Technology into Management Information Systems for Transparent Decision-Making in Public Sector Governance

Abstract

The urge behind this research is the emerging need to establish transparency, accountability and citizen confidence in governance of public sector. It seeks to investigate the prospect of utilizing the blockchain technology within the context of Management Information Systems (MIS) in propagating transparent and decentralized decision-making in government institutions. This paper explores how the main aspects of blockchain like immutability, distributed consensus, and smart contracts can help to ease information asymmetry, corruption risk, and enhance the integrity of the data systems that are publicly maintained. An emergent conceptual framework is based on current available literature on information systems, governance, and blockchain research. The analysis indicates that the use of blockchain-integrated MIS will have the potential to promote data accuracy and accountability, government scrutiny and institutional credibility to a considerable extent. Nevertheless, legal infrastructure, administrative capacity and readiness of the stakeholders are required to see the successful execution of such systems. By proposing a more decentralized approach of trust to enhance transparency of public institution decisions, this research can help add to the wider conversation of digital governance.