The Innovative Impact of Trust in Social Government: An Analysis During COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

This article investigates previously unexamined elements of the impact of trust in Social Government (s-government) on people's sense of community responsibility and their willingness to continue interacting with them during pandemic crises. It also examines the influence of the sense of community and risk perception on intentions to continue interacting. Data were obtained from 493 participants using an online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was employed for analyzing the data and testing the research model. The findings confirm the impact of trust in s-government on the sense of community, risk perception, and citizens’ willingness to continue interacting with s-government. The findings also show that risk perception and sense of community significantly impact people's intentions to continue interacting. The results show that trust in s-government accounts for 37.5% of variances of risk perception. Trust in s-government and risk perception explain 51.7% of variances of sense of community. The results also show that trust in s-government, sense of community, and risk perception predict 52.5% of variances of citizens' intentions to continue interacting with s-government. Our article adds valuable insights to the literature of s-government, trust, sense of community, and risk perception during unprecedented crises. It also presents valuable guidance for public administrators developing active s-government solutions during pandemics.