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Determining the types of internet plus government platform usage behaviour in selected cities of China

Ge Wang (School of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China)
Qiang Chen (School of Journalism and New Media, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China)
Shenghua Xie (School of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China)

The Electronic Library

ISSN: 0264-0473

Article publication date: 15 October 2021

Issue publication date: 10 November 2021

226

Abstract

Purpose

Although internet plus government platforms (IPGPs) are being increasingly used by citizens around the world, questions emerge regarding the public adoption, utilization and use of IPGPs. This study aims to explore the determinants of citizens’ differentiated IPGPs usage behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

An analytical framework has been built upon the rational choice theory and the cultural dimension theory. The present study draws on a survey of 866 citizens from Guangzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu.

Findings

The empirical findings suggest that the perceived functional benefits and personalization features both significantly affect citizens’ informational, service and participatory uses of IPGPs, to varying degrees. Furthermore, long-term orientation plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceived functional benefits and the service use of IPGPs.

Originality/value

The findings demonstrate that the public’s rational choice of a new digitalized service channel depends on to what extent and to what degree the absolute and relative benefits they consider important compare to other possible channels. Users also consider how the new service channel satisfies their personalized demands of digitalized services. Also, users’ long-term orientation can affect their rational choices by adjusting the perceived functional benefits of the channel when that channel is used for service transactions.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Liberal arts and Social Sciences Foundation [grant number: 20YJC630140].

Citation

Wang, G., Chen, Q. and Xie, S. (2021), "Determining the types of internet plus government platform usage behaviour in selected cities of China", The Electronic Library, Vol. 39 No. 5, pp. 782-799. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-06-2021-0117

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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