Factors Affecting Government Use of Social Media for Service Provision

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Seyed Mohammadbagher Jafari 1
Alireza Amirkabiri 2
hossein amjadi 3
1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Ph.D. student, Media Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22054/nms.2023.56333.1070
Abstract
Introduction

Nowadays, social networks are an essential part of daily life, and it's safe to say that the majority of the world's population uses at least one social media platform. With the advancement of technology and the prevalence of the Internet, social networks have become an integral tool for communication and information sharing. As more citizens turn to web 2.0 services and social media platforms, governments are increasingly considering using them as a channel for service delivery. In this research, we aim to identify the factors that impact the government's use of social media for service provision. By doing so, governments can gain a better understanding of the factors that influence their decision to enter this field and take more informed steps in this regard.
Research Question(s)
In this article, we aim to address two key questions: if the government intends to provide services through social media tools, which set of influential factors will be at play, and which of these factors will be driving versus prevented? Identifying these factors is critical for the government to better understand the factors that influence its decision to enter this field and take more informed steps in this regard.

Literature Review

According to Mergel's study in 2016, the adoption of social media in the American government requires careful consideration of two key activities: strategic alignment and routinization. Strategic alignment involves ensuring that the use of social media is in line with the government's overall objectives and priorities, while routinization involves establishing clear processes and procedures for using social media, as well as ensuring that it becomes ingrained in the daily routines of government employees and citizens alike. By taking these factors into account, governments can better ensure that the use of social media for service provision is sustainable and effective.
Gregory (2016) examined the relationship between public sector social media usage and citizens' trust in e-government websites. Using a sample of 1100 citizens in Seoul, South Korea, the study found that increased use of e-government websites is negatively correlated with citizens' satisfaction and trust. On the other hand, the findings suggested that the use of social media by the government can lead to higher levels of trust and satisfaction among citizens. While the study was limited to a single city in South Korea, it provides valuable insights into the relationship between government social media usage and public trust.
Wukick and Mergel (2016) investigated the repurposing of social media information in American public sector institutions. The study highlighted that government organizations often default to trusted sources of social media information rather than seeking out new sources, and that private institutions may utilize social media to communicate their messages directly to citizens. These findings indicate that the use of social media may be limiting the range of information available to the public and introducing a degree of bias into public discourse.
Reddick et al.'s (2017) research studied the utilization of social media, particularly Facebook, in providing government services. The study utilized a double-loop learning theory approach to evaluate the relationship between the government and citizens. The findings showed that the government uses Facebook to modify citizens' behavior toward organizations and promote greater support. Additionally, the study found that social media is effective in monitoring citizens' needs and prioritizing them based on different categories. Overall, this study suggests that social media can be a powerful tool in delivering government services and enhancing communication between the public sector and citizens.
Aizhan et al.'s (2017) study examined the utilization of social media in the e-government sector for the public health sector. The research was conducted as a systematic review, in which studies related to the topic were examined. Out of 2441 related studies, 22 were fully examined. The findings of the study suggested that transparency, accountability, public participation, and cooperation were prominent characteristics of using social media in the government service sector. The study aimed at providing insights into the potential benefits of social media for public health services and highlighting the need for further research in this area.
Medaglia and Zhu (2017) investigated the use of social media by Chinese government agencies. This study analyzed data from Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, and aimed to understand the public's opinion on government social media accounts. The study used a sample of 417 users and found that there was a lack of engagement and interaction on government social media, leading to a decrease in creative ideas. Additionally, users had a lower evaluation of government social media compared to other platforms. These findings suggest that government agencies may need to reevaluate their strategies for effectively using social media for public outreach.
Rodriguez et al.'s (2018) study investigated the strategies employed by different governments to utilize social media for providing services to their citizens. The research was conducted on Latin American local governments and assessed the impact of differing social media strategies on citizen participation in governmental decisions. The findings showed that the use of various social media platforms by local governments can lead to increased engagement from citizens and enhance their participation in decision-making processes.
Eom et al. (2018) addressed the issue of "Can social media increase government accountability?" This study was conducted in South Korea. The results of the study showed that the mayor of Seoul plays the most important role in Twitter networks. Especially, the mayor acts as a bridge between different categories of citizens and government officials and follows up on citizens' communications.

Methodology

In order to investigate the drivers and preventers of social media usage for government service delivery in a meta-composite research framework, Sandelowski and Barroso's 7-step meta-Analysis method was utilized. This approach enabled the identification of a suitable number of articles that met the inclusion criteria. After applying the Glynn tool to evaluate the quality of the articles, 39 publications were deemed suitable for inclusion in the final review. A meta-combination method was subsequently used to determine the drivers and preventers of government social media usage for service delivery. The analysis revealed four factors - managerial, organizational, human, and infrastructural - that influenced the effectiveness of social media usage for service delivery. The final decision on the type of effect (propelling or preventive) of each of the factors was made based on a comprehensive review of the literature and an assessment of the existing limitations in the country from this perspective.

Results

In this research, we sought to find a set of requirements that governments can identify before using social media tools to provide their services to the beneficiaries, and increase their chances of success in managing the service delivery process.
As a result, the 4 factors affecting the government's use of social media for service delivery were identified - managerial, organizational, human, and infrastructural. A decision on the type of effect of each factor (propelling or preventive) was made based on the information provided in the research and the limitations that exist in the country with regard to this perspective.
The management factors affecting the government's use of social media for service delivery include 4 sub-factors: transparency, enforcement, manager training, and capital budgeting. The study aimed to identify these requirements to increase the chances of success in managing the service delivery process.
Managerial factors:
1-Transparency sub-factor: preventive
2-Executive sub-factor: preventive
3-The sub-factor of Manager training: preventive
4-Sub-factor of Capital budgeting: preventive
Based on the research findings, it is clear that the government needs to pay attention to the management factors, including transparency, enforcement, manager training, and capital budgeting, when using social media to deliver services. If these factors are not adequately addressed, they may serve as obstacles to the effective use of social media for service delivery. Therefore, it is recommended that the government take into consideration these factors and implement appropriate measures to maximize the benefits of social media-driven service delivery.
 The organizational factors affecting the government's use of social media for the purpose of providing services include 3 sub-factors of organizational policies, organizational structure and communication, and organizational processes.
Organizational factors:
1-Sub-factor of organizational policies: preventive
2-Organizational structure and communication sub-factor: Preventive
3-Sub factor of organizational processes: preventive
It is imperative to consider the organizational factors, including organizational policies, organizational structure and communication, and organizational processes, when using social media to deliver services. Failure to pay attention to these sub-factors will act as hurdles in the effective use of social media for service delivery.
The human factors affecting the government's use of social media for the purpose of providing services can be broken down into four sub-factors: user education, user resistance, usability of the social media platform, and citizens' experience.
Human factors:
1-User training sub-factor: preventive
2-User resistance sub-factor: preventive
3-Functionality sub-factor: preventive
4-Citizen experience sub-factor: motivator
After examining the findings, it is clear that human factors must be taken into account in order for the government to effectively use social media. Specifically, the factors that affect success include: user education, resistance to changing behavior, usability of the social media platform, and citizen's experience. If these factors are not addressed, they can act as obstacles to the effective use of social media. However, the factor of citizen's experience - established and early habituation to using social media - can act as a driving force to encourage the government to adopt social media.
The infrastructural factors affecting the government's use of social media for the purpose of providing services include 5 sub-factors of technical infrastructure, financial infrastructure, legal infrastructure, specialized infrastructure and cultural infrastructure.
Infrastructural factors:
1-Technical infrastructure sub-factor: motivator
2-Sub-factor of financial infrastructure: preventive
3-Legal infrastructure sub-factor: preventive
4-Specialized infrastructure sub-factor: preventive
5-Cultural infrastructure sub-factor: preventive
It has been determined that infrastructural factors, including financial, legal, specialized, and cultural infrastructures, affect the government's use of social media for service delivery. Without these necessary components, the effectiveness of social media for this purpose may decrease. However, since the required technical infrastructure exists in the country and most regions, the infrastructure factor may serve as a driving force for successful implementation.
 

Conclusion

 
The government must be motivated to use social media to serve its beneficiaries. In order for this to happen, it is essential for the government to have the necessary will to provide its services via social media. To achieve this, it is important to identify the set of factors, including advantages (motivators) and obstacles (preventives), which will affect the government's use of social media. These factors should be used to create a positive influence on the government's performance.
With the help of motivators and stimulators, governments can increase the speed of their action. By understanding the obstacles that they may face on this path, governments can either independently or through the use of available resources, reduce or eliminate these obstacles, and streamline their actions.
 
Keywords
Social Media
Web 2.0
Government
Social Services
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