Responsive e-government: A study of local government e-feedback methodology

Local governments have increased the use of technology (e-government) to gather citizen input. The current literature does not address the effectiveness, actual usage, or importance of electronic citizen feedback (e-feedback) to make policy decision. The purpose of the exploratory correlational study was to provide initial empirical evidence to assess the relationship between local e-government services and e-feedback collection methods. General theories of e-government practice were synthesized into a conceptual framework addressing research questions related usage of e-government, e-feedback and testing associations indicating that e-feedback was employed to guide e-government. A survey that documented current e-feedback collection methods and e-government services was sent to key informants representing a random sample of 174 principle cities of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas within the United States. Descriptive results indicated e-government was only 48% implemented across the sample with a potential expected expansion to 72%. Multiple linear regression analyses of survey items were used to identify significant predictors of current e-government and e-feedback practices; and parallel analyses were used to identify significant predictors of intended e-government and e-feedback practices. Pearson correlations were used to reveal significant linkages connecting egovernment, e-feedback, and auditing e-feedback. The results support the conclusion that e-feedback methods create the potential for increased citizen influence in shaping government services and practices via the e-government model. The study contributes to positive social change by providing empirical data that can be used to guide initial e-government implementation within communities that have not yet adequately defined models of practice and means of gathering input from their citizenry.