Does Citizen Sector-based Preference Relate to Citizen Satisfaction with Public Service Organizations?

Abstract

Scholarly attention has predominantly focused on citizens’ evaluations of public service organizations that deliver government-funded services, particularly in single-sector public service provision. As a result, we have limited understanding of how multisectoral provision operates from a citizens’ perspective. Against this backdrop, this study explores how citizens disparately evaluate their providers, which varies according to their preferred sector in multisectoral public service provision. Using a nationwide observational survey on Korean public childcare, where citizens’ sector-based preferences have long been recognized, the findings reveal that parents’ evaluations of providers were contingent on their preferred sector types. The evidence contributes to a more nuanced understanding of citizens’ evaluations of services in multisectoral public service provision.