Social Media in the Public Sector

The pandemic crisis has led to a renew centrality of public sector communica-tion in a hybrid and convergent media ecosystems aiming at (re)building relation-ships based on trust between institutions and citizens. This contribution reflects on the strengths and fragility of the Italian public communication in the face of the pandemic, considering regulatory processes and paths of professionalization. It focuses also on the challenges of social media use in public sector, suggesting a critical approach towards the platformization of the public sector communication activities. The last part of this manuscript presents the different articles that com-pose the special issue.

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Social media responsiveness in the public sector: A study of social media adoption in three functional areas of local government

International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior ◽

10.1108/ijotb-20-01-2017-b003 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 72-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniel J. Seigler

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Public Sector ◽

Local Government ◽

Citizen Participation ◽

The Public ◽

Organizational Influences ◽

Online Social Media ◽

Social Media Tools ◽

Similar Path ◽

Functional Areas

Based on the importance of citizen participation and the collaborative potential of online social media tools, this study tests four proposed influences on administrators who are deciding whether or not to adopt these tools to engage citizens. A survey of 157 department managers from large U.S. cities shows that 82% report using some form of social media to engage citizens and that perceived organizational influences and administrator preconceptions have the strongest impact on the respondentsʼ decision to adopt social media. Possible explanations for the results are that the use of online social media in the public sector may be following a similar path of adoption as earlier forms of e-government or managers may be operating in a rational environment when deciding whether or not to adopt online social media tools.

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The Role of Social Media in the Public Sector

Citizen 2.0: Public and Governmental Interaction through Web 2.0 Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-0318-9.ch001 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 1-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anteneh Ayanso ◽

Darryl Moyers

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Public Sector ◽

New Wave ◽

Web Based ◽

The Public ◽

Government Organizations ◽

Public Service Agencies ◽

Service Agencies ◽

Effective Integration

Social media is promising new opportunities across a broad spectrum of public services. As the Internet and its ubiquitous applications extend globally, an increasing number of governments and their public service agencies are embracing social media as one of the major mechanisms to interact with the public. Social media provides a new wave of Web-based applications and channels for citizens to share constructive ideas and opinions and play active roles in various areas in the public sector. At the same time, social media helps government organizations and elected officials of different government levels to actively listen to citizens and constantly monitor their existing services as well as develop new initiatives. Effective integration of Web 2.0 technologies and applications into existing Internet infrastructure adds visibility and accountability in the public sector and enhances services to citizens.

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Measuring the Impact of Social Media use in the Public Sector

Public Service, Governance and Web 2.0 Technologies - Advances in Web Technologies and Engineering ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-0071-3.ch004 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 48-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Inez Mergel

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Public Sector ◽

Measurement Techniques ◽

Current Standard ◽

The Public ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

Standard Practices ◽

Media Applications ◽

The Impact ◽

Current Practices

Existing research on eGovernment performance has provided limited proof for the impact the use of technology has on citizen participation, engagement or generally satisfaction with government activities. Social media applications have the potential to improve responsiveness, reach, and efficiency, and even cost savings in government. The current Government 2.0 initiatives launched by all executive departments and agencies of the U.S. Federal Government as a response to President Obama’s Transparency and Open Government memo show that government agencies are implementing social media applications as additional information and communication channels. This chapter provides a comparison between traditional eGovernment measurement techniques and the current practices, highlighting the current practices of measuring social media impact in the public sector. The insights are based on data collected in 2010 from interviews with social media directors in the most innovative executive departments and agencies. The results show that the current standard practices mostly include quantitative impact measures instead of the qualitative measures needed to better understand the sentiments of citizens.

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Web 2.0 Usage by Saudi Female Students for Information Sharing in Public Sector University a Pilot Study

International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age ◽

10.4018/ijpada.2017070106 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 79-90

Author(s):

Saqib Saeed ◽

Hina Gull ◽

Sardar Zafar Iqbal

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Public Sector ◽

Web 2.0 ◽

Information Sharing ◽

Female Students ◽

Academic Collaboration ◽

The Public ◽

Rigorous Study ◽

Saudi Female Students

In this paper the authors explore the usage of Web 2.0 by the Saudi female students for their information and knowledge sharing. The results are based on a survey conducted in one of the public sector universities in Saudi Arabia. Questionnaire is developed to get insight about the usage of social media by female students. The results highlighted that Web 2.0 applications are widely adopted by students for their academic collaboration and information sharing. This pilot study advocates for a more rigorous study to validate the findings across the country.

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