Citizen engagement in co-creation of e-government services: a process theory view from a meta-synthesis approach
ISSN: 1066-2243
Article publication date: 4 February 2021
Issue publication date: 12 July 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop an in-depth understanding of the overall process of facilitating co-creation of e-government services, focusing on the government's role in fostering citizen engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative case studies encompassing analyses on a case-specific level followed by syntheses on a cross-study level.
Findings
Through meta-synthesis, the study developed an integrated framework, the process theory view of enabling co-creation of e-government services, illustrating how co-creation could be initiated and facilitated by the government.
Research limitations/implications
By providing critical insights into co-creation steps, the process theory view offers a holistic theoretical understanding of enabling co-creation by identifying factors driving and motivating governments to initiate co-creation activities, interpreting the prerequisites for co-creation and the importance of impact assessment.
Practical implications
This study offers important implications for public authorities, administrators and policymakers by helping them enhance their knowledge base on the co-creation process to facilitate a higher level of collaboration between citizens and government for effective and efficient public service delivery through e-government.
Originality/value
While it is widely acknowledged that citizen engagement is crucial for improving and transforming the development and delivery of e-government services, it is equally recognized as a challenging and complex task. Through a meta-synthesis of qualitative case studies, this study is one of the first to develop a process theory view for offering a holistic understanding and crucial insights for addressing the concerns over the co-creation of e-government services.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Christy Cheung (the editor) and the three anonymous reviewers for their helpful and valuable comments. They also thank the editors, reviewers and audiences of the 18th IFIP WG 6.11 Conference on e-Business, e-Services and e-Society (I3E 2019, Trondheim, Norway), in which an abridged version of this study was presented. The citation of the conference paper is available in the reference section.
Citation
Khan, A. and Krishnan, S. (2021), "Citizen engagement in co-creation of e-government services: a process theory view from a meta-synthesis approach", Internet Research, Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 1318-1375. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-03-2020-0116
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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