Exploring the Management of Government Social Media - Studies from the Facebook Fan Pages in Taiwan

Abstract

This study investigated government management of and public involvement in social media pages to summarize the internal management, daily routines, and perceptions of government agencies toward social media management. Furthermore, this study analyzed the driving factors of the intention to use, actual usage behaviors, and suggestions and expectations of the public regarding their involvement in the social media pages operated by government agencies. Subsequently, to identify the key factors in government social media management and directions for improvement, a comparison was made between the management practice of government agencies' social media and people's experiences in using them. Through participant observations, in-depth interviews, and other data collection methods, this study examined examples in Facebook---the social media platform most frequently used by Taiwanese people and government agencies---to explore these research questions. The government has invested considerable resources in social media management, attracting a large number of people to follow and participate in the official social media operated by various government agencies. However, whether the stickiness of these social media can be maintained, whether they continue to attract more participants, and whether they can evolve with social media platforms as people's needs and expectations change remain to be investigated.