Allowing users to pick and choose: A conjoint analysis of end-user preferences of public e-services

Abstract

Public e-services have become an increasingly important topic on the public agenda. The decision about which services are provided electronically is the responsibility of public administrations and therefore often fails to include the preferences of end-users, namely the residents, in the decision processes. This study examines preferences from 899 residents of Switzerland regarding public e-services through conjoint analysis. The article is based on a quasi-experimental research design by assigning participants to two different groups of public e-services randomly. The findings show that participants seem to prefer electronic public services compared to non-digital public services. Concerning the service attributes, both data security/protection and price play a crucial role in the end-user assessment of public services. Findings indicate that potential time savings play a subordinate role in the assessment. Data security/protection seems to be of particular importance if the public service deals with confidential data such as a tax declaration. The findings reveal new insights for both research and practice into factors which influence the successful implementation of public e-services in the context of digital transformation of the public sector.