Factors affecting the perceived public value of social media in Queensland local government councils

Factors affecting the perceived public value of social media in Queensland local government councils

The open government initiatives across the world have stimulated wide adoption and use of social media technology (SMT) platforms. SMT has become a mainstream tool in both the private and business sectors. SMT is expected to offer net benefits for public sector and governments at all levels, which can contribute the interactions between government and the citizens. Local government councils have started to exploit the potential that social media offers for citizens to communicate with their councils. These interactions might provide net benefits as public value created by government to stakeholders. Measuring the ability of SMT to interact with citizens to create public value is an issue facing local government in their adoption of SMT. Merely having a social media icon on a webpage does not demonstrate usage of SMT, nor does it necessarily create value nor improve interaction with citizens. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting on the public value of using SMT to communicate with local councils, to measure the public value of social media as perceived by citizens in local councils in Queensland Australia.

In order to achieve the research aims, the study model proposed draws upon the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM2), Public Value theory, and Public Value Net Benefits model. The model proposed includes seven constructs: demographic factors, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use, intention to use, usage behaviour, types of user participation, and public value of SM. Quantitative research was undertaken with residents across 20 urban and rural Queensland local council areas. The online survey was conducted by a third-party organisation (My Opinions Pty Ltd), obtained 313 responses from residents who use information technology and networks. This study has collected rich and original data regarding public value through social media use in Queensland local councils. A structural equation modelling tool (CO-SEM) was used to assess the online survey results.

This study makes a significant contribution to both theoretical and practical perspectives in the management information systems. In the theoretical perspective, the results indicated that the model and its constructs are reliable and valid to identify the concept of SMT initiatives towards public value. Theoretically, the study offers a value-add to the fields of information system (IS), open government, and public administration research by examining the public value of social media use in local government councils. In terms of the practical contributions, this research study offers an in-depth understanding of the public value of SMT in local government. As well as, a practical contribution to local government councils and citizens by providing a framework to examine public value through social media use. Our research findings from the main survey sample indicate that social media technology offers economic and social values. Economic benefits include easy of information, convenience cost, time saving, and increased communication. Using SMT reduces the economic cost of accessing and collecting local councils’ information. Increased communication that achieves more value relating to participation with local councils. Social benefits include well-informedness, trust and participation diction making with local councils. The findings of this research could be a support for Queensland’s local governments to justify their investments in social media. The investments in social media also help local councils’ improvements of the public services effectively and efficiently, particularly who wish to interact effectively with their citizens.