The digital communication tools and citizens' relationship with local governments: a comparison of Georgian and Polish cities

Abstract

This article aims to explore the impact of digital communication tools application by citizens and the perceived usefulness of social media on the relationship between citizens and local authorities. The data were gathered in April–September 2020 through a survey (CAWI) among citizens of Poznan, Poland (n=502), and Kutaisi, Georgia (n=504), and were analyzed with structural equation modeling. The findings show that the intensity of digital communication tools usage for participation in the city branding and the perceived usefulness of social media contribute to the lasting relationships between citizens and local authorities in both countries. The novelty of this research concerns comparing two countries with different levels of development. Georgia is a developing economy in Europe and is in the process of modernizing the local governance across the cities. Poland, however, is a mature economy with a post-transformation heritage, where its cities benefit from considerable experience in building and developing citizen participation policies. Furthermore, the research was conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic and evidenced the growing popularity of digital tools adoption by citizens in city matters. This study contributes to understanding the impact of digital tools on the relationship between citizens and local authorities in terms of city brand management. Citizens' participation in the city branding process via various digital communication tools increased citizen commitment towards long-lasting collaboration with local authorities. Moreover, citizens' perception of social media usefulness positively influences their desire to engage in the city branding process online, supporting the trust-building and collaboration between citizens and local authorities. Points for practitioners The intensiveness of digital tools usage – governments should identify the tools already trusted and popular among their audience and employ those tools to a greater extent to maximize the chances of feedback, high citizen participation, and commitment. Citizens’ perception of social media – such characteristics as ease of use, transparency, ease of communication with the municipality, and safety encourage citizens to get involved in the city brand management process. Consequently, local authorities should consider the features mentioned above and develop the online tools quality.

Local governments’ communication on social media platforms: refining and assessing patterns of adoption in Belgium

“…First, descriptive statistics are presented in this section. As observed in a different setting (Maziashvili and al., 2022), we note that most Belgian municipalities have adopted Facebook:…”

“…First, descriptive statistics are presented in this section. As observed in a different setting (Maziashvili et al, 2022), we note that most Belgian municipalities have adopted Facebook: as of January 2020, 336 municipalities out of 364 with more than 10,000 inhabitants had registered on the platform (see Table 2). However, they can strongly differ according to the dimensions of active adoption considered.…”

Multichannel Communication in Kazakhstani Public Service: Examining the Role of Digital Tools

“…According to Maziashvili et al (2022), the intensity of the use of digital tools by governments should involve identifying tools that are trusted and popular with their audience and using these tools more to increase opportunities for feedback, citizen engagement, and commitment. Ease of use, transparency, ease of communication with the municipality, and security are cited as reasons for citizens' positive perception of social media.…”

Digital Communications in Public Administration: Essence, Role and Requirements for Formation

“…Плешняк та І . Ковалік [9] досліджували, як використання цифрових комунікацій громадянами впливає на їх взаємодію з органами місцевої влади .…”