How Do Disadvantaged Groups Seek Information About Public Services? A Randomized Controlled Trial of Communication Technologies

Abstract

Governments and NGOs are switching to phone-and Internet-based communication technologies to reduce costs and broaden access to public services. However, these technological shifts can backfire if they exacerbate administrative burden in high-need communities. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in Greece evaluating which communication mode best allows disadvantaged groups to solicit information about free services. Subjects were 18 times more likely to use a prepaid postcard and eight times more likely to use a postcard requiring postage than a hotline or email to seek information about free dental care. Focus groups indicate that low self-efficacy greatly limits disadvantaged groups' willingness to use newer technologies for bureaucratic inquiries. We demonstrate that the administrative burden associated with technological shifts is larger than previously believed and that widespread psychological barriers include not only the stigma of welfare receipt, but also the stigma of mishandling a conversation with a bureaucrat.

Development of e-government in the field of social services and benefits: Evidence from Romania

“…This is in line with a similar conclusion stating that "given the huge variety of application-based services to master the challenges of daily life, those who are not well connected are likely to be distanced and excluded" (Trappel, 2019, p. 22). A similar line of argument, highlighting a usage preference of prepaid postcard and postcard requiring postage over using a hotline or email to seek information is highlighted in a study on usage of communication technologies in disadvantaged groups (Linos et al, 2021). Same study mentions welfare stigma among psychological costs of directly interacting with bureaucrats (ibid).…”

Information use in public administration and policy decision‐making: A research synthesis

“…Nevertheless, a better understanding of these topics might well be on the rise in terms of both research and practice in the near future because of their relevance for today's societal challenges. These topics are related to the use of information to better understand the psychology of decision‐making (5 percent) (e.g., Murat Yildirim 2020; Nowlin, 2021), to govern during public emergencies (3 percent) (e.g., Phillips et al, 2023; Wu et al, 2022), to account for the role of algorithmic decisions and artificial intelligence (1 percent) (Grimmelikhuijsen, 2023; Hartmann & Wenzelburger, 2021), and the reduction of administrative burdens faced by citizens when interacting with government organization or faced by civil servants while engaged in delivering public services (1 percent) (Linos et al, 2022). Overall, Public Administration Review seems to be the journal that has taken the lead in publishing research on the use of information to make decisions for both the most and least investigated topics.…”

Administrative burden in digital public service delivery: The social infrastructure of library programs for e‐inclusion

“…In fact, recent studies show that upon encountering problems, especially vulnerable citizens prefer non‐digital ways of communicating with government, such as picking up the phone or sending a postcard (Linos et al, 2021; Madsen et al, 2022). Linos et al (2021) find that digital communications tend to reduce costs for government but impose sizable psychological burdens on disadvantaged communities that often lack confidence and technical skills to use these technologies for formal, bureaucratic communications' (Linos et al, 2021, p. 1). Additionally, the automation of services, scenarios in which decisions are returned to applicants with limited human interference, can lead to additional burdens for those citizens that have atypical situations and for whom the automated allocation of benefits for example is not possible.…”