Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman, PA; (2012) A Human-Centred Approach to National Identity Management Systems. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis explores the concept of a human-centred Identity Management System (IDMS), and how it can be implemented by organisations. The review of the literature on previous approaches to identity (i.e. privacy, trust, and usability) reveals that claims of IDMS being ‘human-centred’ are rhetorical; in reality, organisations’ administrative convenience is prioritised over the needs of individuals who are treated as purely functional components within the IDMS ecosystem. The research conducted to build a human-centred identity concept involved three separate studies, each approaching the question of identity from a different perspective. Study 1, the system study, focused on the design of IDMS and its impact on individuals’ everyday lives. A total of 14 different past and present N-IDMS implementations were analysed using thematic coding. The result of the study was the development of a framework that expressed a system in terms of a set of structural and metrical design properties, and how these can shape the individuals’ lived experience of identity. Study 2, the individual study, explored individuals’ perceptions and initial acceptance of N-IDMS. Grounded Theory analysis was applied to the data from 15 focus group discussions (groups consisted of 3 participants who were all either of British, Indian, or Bruneian nationality). The study revealed that individuals’ decision to accept an IDMS are influenced by their situation perception, system judgment, and concerns. These findings were further refined through the use of a survey study. The individual study also explored the impacts of National Culture on individuals’ perception of an IDMS. Finally, the third study took an organisation-centric approach, through the analysis of documentation and interviews on the current N-IDMS implementations in 3 different countries (UK, Brunei, and India). Exploring identity as a strategic resource, the study developed a set of organisational requirements around the identity creation and identity application processes, which have an influence the design of the IDMS. The main contribution of this thesis is the development of a unified framework that provides a complete narrative of the identity situation, from planning and design to individual perceptions, as well as the impacts on the lived experience. The findings of this research have been validated through the use of expert evaluations, which have found the framework to be complete and useful for both practitioners and researchers.

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