The Effectiveness of e-Cognocracy

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the effectiveness of the democracy model known as e-cognocracy [1-7]. The paper considers the extent to which the goals of e-cognocracy (transparency, control, participation, knowledge democratisation and learning) are achieved in an e-discussion process in a cognitive democracy using a collaborative tool (forum). Students on the Multicriteria Decision Making course at the Zaragoza University Faculty of Economics were surveyed with the aim of identifying their opinions with regards to the Gran Scala leisure complex project which involves locating the biggest leisure complex in Europe in the Los Monegros area of Aragon, north-east Spain. The results of the survey, which focuses on different dimensions of the problem (quality of the web site, quality of information available and attributes for effectiveness), have been analysed using structural equations. This approach has been formulated as a general framework that allows an empirical evaluation of citizens' e-participation in electronic governance. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.