Government Social Media Research Articles

Shaping governance through social media: A review of Chinese government strategies and public engagement (2013-2023)

This systematic literature review employs the PRISMA framework to assess the literature of Chinese government social media (GSM) from 2013 to 2023. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that combines bibliometric and content analysis, this review investigates the evolving use of GSM in China. The bibliometric analysis reveals significant trends in research focus and methodologies over the decade, indicating a shift towards more qualitative and mixed-method approaches as the complexity of digital governance increases. Content analysis further delineates these findings into specific themes: governance strategies and implementation, technological evolution, and the audience. Through the examination of these themes, the review highlights how Chinese GSM has been strategically used to foster a more transparent and engaging government presence online, facilitating improved public services and citizen involvement in governmental processes. This study also incorporates a brief cross-analysis to explore the interactions between different research dimensions, offering nuanced insights into the dynamics of GSM applications. This research underscores the critical role of social media in shaping modern governance, suggesting that ongoing technological adaptation and strategic communication are essential for enhancing public engagement and trust in the context of China. The findings advocate for continued research and policy development to leverage the potential of GSM fully, ensuring that digital governance strategies remain responsive to technological advancements and evolving public expectations.

Social media (self-)governance? A mixed-method study on the content and drivers of work-related social media use

While practitioners question whether employees’ work-related social media use is a blessing or curse, few scholars have studied the content of employees’ social media posts. Moreover, organizations increasingly regulate employees’ online presence through social media governance tools, but research on their effectiveness is lacking. With an online survey among 502 Belgian employees, we quantitatively examined how social media governance affects employees’ online branding behavior. Additionally, we asked participants to share a recent work-related social media post with us, and explain why they posted it. Quantitative findings indicate that employees’ branding behavior on social media is mostly driven by their identification and relationship with their organization. Regarding the influence of social media governance, guidelines and rewards affect branding behavior positively, while a ban and punishments can have a destructive impact through reactance. When we qualitatively zoom in on employees’ work-related posts, these are mainly positive, organization-related and used for organizational promotion.

Impacts of government social media on public engagement in low-carbon practices focusing on Japan

This study investigates the role of Government Social Media (GSM) in enhancing public engagement with Low-Carbon Practices (LCP) in Japan. Motivated by the need to foster sustainable development and mitigate climate change impacts, this research utilizes negative binomial regression model analyzing 1022 posts from nine Japanese government social media accounts. Our findings reveal that increased media richness negatively correlates with engagement, suggesting that content depth over visual appeal is more effective for LCP-related communication. Surprisingly, the dialogic loop reduces engagement, indicating complex public reactions to governmental initiatives. Content themes related to governmental actions and LCP information significantly enhance engagement, while emotional valence shows minimal impact. The study introduces 'social media capital' as a moderating factor, which mitigates the negative effects of dialogic loops and media richness on engagement, and influences the impact of content themes. These insights provide a foundation for future research and guide the development of effective public engagement strategies in environmental policy. The study highlights the need for nuanced GSM strategies that prioritize information quality and relevance to increase public participation in low-carbon initiatives.

Fostering Digital Dialogue: A Case Study of Government Social Media Initiatives in Advocating Social Participation

Engagement with the public and promoting social participation have emerged as essential aspects of democratic governance which have resulted in the focus towards social media by the Indonesian government. The role of social media has become increasingly vital for the Indonesian government and its governing agencies to reach and accommodate broad and diverse publics. Unfortunately, in developing nations, particularly Indonesia, using social media in government institutions to engage with the people and provide services is still deemed inconsistent and uneven. Hence, this case study explores an Indonesian provincial government's social media initiatives that have been nationally acknowledged as successful in strategies of fostering digital dialogue to facilitate social participation and could potentially become an exemplary implementation model for the country. The authors conducted a focus group discussion with public information and social media officials. Generally, the findings demonstrate how regional governments, with solid backing from the top leader and a well-designed strategic plan, could leverage social media platforms to meet public expectations while advancing democratic governance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the social media initiatives undertaken by the provincial government have facilitated public participation, ensuring that citizens are heard and can actively participate in governmental decisions that impact their needs. This paper contributes to the existing literature on government public relations by highlighting the government's role in advocating democratic and participatory governance. Keywords: Digital dialogue, government public relations, Indonesia, social media, public participation.

Social Media Management in Local Government: A Case Study of Bandung City Government's Instagram and Twitter (X), Indonesia

Effective social media management by the local government plays a central role in generating and shaping public engagement. Bandung City Government's just setup their Instagram and Twitter (X) accounts in year 2022, which consider having low engagement. This study aims to analyse reasons for low public engagement in the local government social media. Specifically, this study focuses on the Bandung City Government which has experienced using other social media for more than 10 years. The approach used was a case study and quantitative content analysis on Instagram and Twitter (X) accounts during the 2022 period. The results showed that the social media management of the Bandung City Government has not been effective in creating high-quality engagement. The team has not been able to optimize planning activities to create creative content. According to the needs of citizens, interaction and response to public comments are still inconsistent. In addition, evaluation activities have not been optimally used to improve management strategy improvements. The results of this study have important implications for social media management practices in local governments. The weaknesses of social media management found in this study can be used as lessons learned by other local governments to increase engagement with the public. Keywords: Local government, social media, social media management, public engagement, Twitter (X).

Systematic Literature Review on Public Engagement via Government Social Media during the COVID-19 Crisis

Public engagement on government social media platforms can boost public trust in government while also improving and speeding up the distribution of health information. The importance of public engagement and its widespread existence have promoted extensive academic research on this channel. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to identify and bridge gaps in theories and conceptual frameworks in studies of public engagement via government social media. Furthermore, the objective of this research is to establish a comprehensive framework for analyzing how the public's engagement on government social media during the COVID-19 pandemic is affected by elements including information quality, source credibility, social media characteristics, and personal trust. The PRISMA method is used to review publications from 2019. After an extensive systematic review procedure that involved searching for relevant publications and utilizing inclusion and exclusion criteria to retrieve those that met the study's purpose, 32 papers were finally selected from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. Finally, this study's findings shed light on the interactions between the public and the government during COVID-19 and offer recommendations for further research on public engagement, including more diverse social media types, the expansion of public engagement forms on social media, and the adoption of different theory or model. This study provides more evidence for research on public online engagement and offers some practical implications for effective communication between governments and the public.

Balancing act: How do local governments use social media in crises?

Governments can benefit from social media usage in crisis management, but the amplified public scrutiny facilitated by social media may also impede crisis management and damage reputations. How governments balance such benefits and risks when using social media for crisis communication remains an open question. With a data set of epidemic statistics and social media posts of local governments across China during the first wave of COVID-19, we quantitatively investigate how the local crisis situations and coping resources influenced government usage of social media. Our analysis reveals that the first confirmed case in a city leads to a significant increase in government social media use. This effect is stronger in cities with more medical resources. In addition, the number of cumulative cases has an inverted U-shaped influence on government social media use. These findings suggest that governments value the importance of social media for crisis handling and reputation protection, adapting their communication strategies based on the crisis severity and their own capacities.

Connecting Pixels to Trust: A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Government Social Media Usage and Citizens' Trust in Government

Government social media has garnered significant attention due to its impact on citizens' attitudes, prompting extensive academic research. This review aims to delineate a decade-spanning corpus of literature, discern prevalent research trends, and propose a prospective research agenda in this domain. Employing systematic literature review and PRISMA methodologies, our investigation identified 22 published articles through comprehensive keyword searches across Scopus, Google Scholar, CNKI, and ProQuest databases, ensuring a diverse representation of geographic areas to capture the global perspective on this issue. This study mainly utilize a mixed research methodology encompassing bibliometrics and content analysis to analyze data results. This paper conducted a bibliometric analysis revealing that the relationship between government social media usage and citizens' trust in the government remains a contentious topic. To delve deeper into this relationship, the selected literature were categorized into three distinct research themes through content analysis, forming a comprehensive conceptual framework. Upon meticulous analysis, the findings suggest that future research should explore the communication field more extensively, encompass a broader range of research topics, employ refined concepts, and examine the mediating role of audience behavior, particularly focusing on the behavior of young people. Furthermore, researchers are encouraged to adopt a more thorough and detailed systematic approach when reviewing relevant literature on government social media.

Social media communication and public engagement in different health crisis stages: The framing of COVID-19 in Chinese official media

Effective government social media communication plays a crucial role in mitigating public panic amid various public health crises, such as the H1N1 pandemic, the Ebola epidemic, the Zika epidemic, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A research gap exists in investigating government official social media communication strategies and effects on public engagement at specific COVID-19 crisis stages. This study examines the COVID-19 communication strategies the Chinese government used and the corresponding effects on public engagement at different COVID-19 crisis stages on social media. The Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Model, Framing Theory, and Situational Crisis Communication Theory are combined to develop a conceptual framework. Content analysis and coding were performed on two dimensions: health content theme (four sub-dimensions) and transparent communication style (three sub-dimensions). Public engagement was measured by the number of shares, comments, and likes. The results indicate a strong need for disease prevention information at the initial event/maintenance and resolution stages, while reassurance and government actions are highly valued at the resolution stage. Interactive features promote public engagement in key crisis stages.

Unraveling influential factors shaping employee cybersecurity behaviors: an empirical investigation of public servants in Vietnam

PurposeGovernment employees must comply with policies on information security regulations, online security practices, social networking usage, internet addiction, online cyberthreats and other related habits. These activities are considered cybersecurity behaviors. Government social media (GSM) accounts are increasingly used to educate employees about cybersecurity risks. To support the effectiveness of cybersecurity practices in government organizations, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of GSM and organizational policy compliance on employees’ cybersecurity awareness, motivation and behaviors.Design/methodology/approachData were obtained by administering a questionnaire survey to public personnel in Vietnam. A total of 330 valid responses were obtained, and the research hypotheses were tested using partial least squares–structural equation modeling.FindingsFirst, cybersecurity awareness enhances information protection motivation and employee protective behavior. Second, GSM has positive impacts on cybersecurity knowledge and information protection motivation. Third, there is a strong positive association between information protection motivation and employee protective behavior. Finally, while organizational compliance significantly increases cybersecurity awareness, its impact on employee protective behavior is ind irect.Originality/valueThis research enhances the literature on the behavioral dimension of cybersecurity. The primary objective of this study is to assess the influence of cybersecurity awareness on protective behaviors rather than intents and attitudes alone. Furthermore, this research integrates protection motivation theory and cultivation theory to provide a more thorough assessment of cybersecurity awareness and protective behavior. By investigating the impact of GSM on the level of cybersecurity awareness among employees within government organizations, this study provides valuable insights into the efficacy of recent governmental initiatives aimed at fostering cybersecurity.

Blockchain technology, social media sentiment and stock price

AbstractWe investigate the impact of the announcements by firms to adopt blockchain technology on stock prices and the different characteristics of stock prices under different types of blockchain technologies. Simultaneously, we propose two impact mechanisms: one is investor sentiment, and the other is the firm's governance of social media. We find that the firm's stock price has shown an increasing trend since the release of the announcement of the adoption of blockchain technology. At the same time, firms engaged in blockchain research, development and investment, and that simultaneously deploy other financial technologies, as well as firms that deploy blockchain technology for non‐speculative purposes, have better stock prices. In addition, the layout of a firm's blockchain may affect its stock price by influencing investor sentiment and public opinion.

Understanding government social media communication strategies and public engagement during the COVID-19 crisis in Lebanon

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted governments to adopt various online communication strategies, including the use of social media platforms. Drawing on the crisis and emergency risk communication model, this study investigates the Facebook communication strategies employed by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) during the COVID-19 crisis in Lebanon and examines the public engagement with these efforts. A content analysis was conducted on 2,001 posts related to COVID-19 from January 2020 to June 2021. The posts were classified into categories and the frequency and median were used to measure government posting activity and engagement. The study analyzed additional post features such as hashtags, mentions, captions, and language to provide further context to the findings. Trend analysis was also conducted to examine how the metrics varied with key events. The results show that MoPH predominantly used photos (72.00%) and the majority of its posts were published during the initial phase of the outbreak (74.20%). The most prevalent categories of posts were uncertainty reduction (54.57%), self-efficacy (30.33%), and vaccines and immunization (16.89%). MoPH’s Facebook page witnessed a surge in followers during the post-COVID-19 period, increasing by over 300.00% from the pre-COVID-19 years. Posts content, media type, and crisis stage influenced the level of public engagement. The study reveals that Facebook is effective for strategic health crisis communication. Furthermore, it provides practical insights for public sector emergency managers responsible for online communication during outbreaks.

The shitposting scattergun approach: A multimodal analysis of the first wave COVID-19 social media messaging from UKGov

This article analyses the type and style of the UK government social media messaging during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic using multimodal and social semiotic analysis. Images improve health communication by increasing comprehension of information, enhancing recall of instructions, encouraging positive self-protective attitudes and behaviour and are beneficial to those with low health literacy skills. When done well, visual material can meaningfully improve health outcomes. UKGov’s social media during COVID-19 reveals that production of mental noise and feed flooding can affect perceptions of risk. Recognizing the impact that both visuals and social media campaigns can have in crisis communication, this article first explores the steps in creating the social communication and then analyses social media posts during the first four months of the pandemic from UKGov Facebook and Instagram accounts. This article employs a multimodal social semiotic methodology to organize, code and make sense of the often contradictory and ambiguous meanings contained in a vast trove of visual data. Ultimately, this article argues that the UKGov’s ‘scattergun’ approach to the first wave COVID-19 infographics enhanced polysemic meanings and flooded social media feeds with ‘shitposting’ philosophy, which decreased clarity of understanding and potentially impacted health literacy amongst the UK populous.

Government 2.0: Government-Citizen Engagement through Social Media in Pakistan

This study aims to analyze how the Pakistani public engages with e-government, particularly at the local government level. The research focuses on the social media tools utilized by selected institutions, their social media management practices, institutional policies, and the impact of their initiatives. The study highlights the limited responsiveness of Pakistanis towards e-government adoption. The study shows that Pakistani government institutions are increasingly using social media platforms to engage with the public, establish connections, and receive feedback. However, certain departments need to transition to online platforms, necessitating more digital integration. Government social media administrators include CEOs, regional directors, information officers, and media officers, highlighting the complexity of public sector social media management. The study indicates that numerous social media management departments use data to highlight teamwork but have fewer senior female officers. The most commonly used social media platforms by government agencies are Facebook, official websites, and WhatsApp. Meeting citizens' expectations requires addressing issues, responding to queries, and maximizing the potential of social media. However, despite the popularity of social media, residents still prefer contacting government entities by phone and in person. Therefore, the study emphasizes the importance of clear social media policies for government bodies. The study underscores the need for government institutions to adapt their social media strategies based on public preferences. The report suggests that standard operating procedures (SOPs), varied social media teams, and explicit government social media laws can help improve the situation. The study provides a reliable framework for future research and legislation on government-citizen social media engagement, although it primarily reflects government officials' viewpoints.

Research on the strategy for improving the utility of government social media information based on a multi-agent game model

Government social media (GSM) has become an important tool for government departments to open information, guide public opinion and interact with the government and the people. However, the operation and maintenance of some GSM are not standardised, and the content published is inconsistent with identity positioning, resulting in the realistic dilemma of low utility of GSM information. The purpose of this study is to explore the effective strategies to improve the effectiveness of GSM information. The research is from the perspective of information economics, this article uses evolutionary game theory to build a tripartite evolutionary game model comprising GSM operations departments, government regulators and users in order to explore the evolution process of tripartite game behaviours and the influence of subject behaviour selection on information utility. It subsequently conducts a solution and numerical simulation to demonstrate the influence of different factors on the game results. The experimental results show that there are four situations in which the utility of GSM information affects the evolution and stability strategy of the subject and that changes in different parameter values have significant effects on the results of the three-party game. The evolution trend of the subject behaviour can be changed by increasing the regulatory means of rewards and punishments and establishing an efficient operation mechanism for GSM, thus promoting system convergence to the ideal state. The results of this study can provide references and suggestions for government departments to effectively enhance the effectiveness of GSM information and promote the healthy development of GSM.

Managing the manosphere: The limits of responsibility for government social media adoption

The prevalence of hate, threats, gender trolling, and other problematic communication patterns in social media prompts concerns about the responsibility associated with government social media adoption. In addressing this issue, this paper adopts a feminist perspective to enrich our understanding of how governments assume responsibility for their adoption of social media. The study contains a sentiment and thematic analysis of responses to a government video campaign on Facebook, which seeks to heighten public awareness about men's violence against women by highlighting problems surrounding sexist jokes. The video targets two audiences in terms of gender, resulting in various outcomes in sentiments, trolling, and trolling management. Results show disparities in sentiments between males and females, the diverse strategies employed in trolling, and how both users and the local government manage trolling. The local government deploys different strategies for trolling management, encompassing both engaging and non-engaging approaches. Notably, engagement is constrained to the targeted male audience and male trollers. The primary responsibility for trolling management is delegated to users, predominantly women, who become proxies for the local government. This dual practice of ignoring women as relevant stakeholders and utilizing them as proxies is considered a failure of responsibility. The study contributes to the advancement of citizen engagement research by delving into the intricate dynamics of trolling and trolling management within the specific context of government social media. Moreover, it sheds light on issues of responsibility inherent in the adoption of social media by governmental entities.

To Access or Not to Access: Influencing Factors for Government Microblogging Information Seeking and Avoidance among Chinese Generation Z

In recent years, the effective enhancement of information communication effect through governmental social media in has emerged as a universally concerned issue on government governance within the social media era. As Generation Z represents the primary and frequent users of social media, understanding the factors influencing their behaviors regarding information seeking and avoidance on governmental social media platforms is essential (in China, the principal governmental social media platform is government microblogging). Employing the grounded theory methodology, 31 participants of Chinese Generation Z were recruited for the present study, and data were collected using an in-depth interview. The results showed that the factors influencing the information-seeking behavior of Generation Z towards government microblogging mainly include heuristic seeking factors (personal preference, emotional value, and following hot topics), systematic seeking factors (task demand and expert recommendation), and defensive seeking factors (defending stance, authority seeking, and impression management). The factors influencing the information avoidance behavior of Generation Z towards government microblogging mainly include heuristic avoidance factors (clickbait titles, content layout, excessive length, and high redundancy), systematic avoidance factors (selective ignorance and terminological density), and resource-limited avoidance factors (demand scarcity, time scarcity, and vitality scarcity). This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the government microblogging information behavior of Generation Z. Implications for government microblogging governance, strategy recommendations, and indicates directions for future research are discussed.

Does centralization of online content regulation affect political hate speech in a country? A public choice perspective

This study primarily examines how the centralization of online content regulation increases political hate speech in a country. It also explores the roles of the government's social media surveillance and disinformation in this relationship. Calhoun's public choice theory is used as a theoretical foundation to examine relationships. Data from 179 nations are analyzed using a mixed-method approach (i.e., path analysis and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis), and the findings reveal how centralization of online content regulation results in higher levels of political hate speech by increasing social media surveillance of political content and disinformation through social media by the government.

Local government social media use, citizen satisfaction, and citizen compliance: Evidence from the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Government Social Media (GSM) accounts have been strategic tools for public communication and pandemic management. However, the relationship between local GSM use, citizen satisfaction, and citizen compliance with preventive measures is still unclear. This study responds to this question by analyzing 1047 questionnaires collected from citizens who have experienced the Shanghai COVID-19 outbreak since March 2022. The results reveal that informational use of local GSM directly strengthened citizen compliance with COVID-19 control measures, yet the direct effects of participatory and service use were not supported. Both participatory and service use promoted citizen compliance through the mediating role of citizen satisfaction with local governments. Our research findings suggest that government social media accounts are important tools to cultivate citizens' compliance behaviors. Local governments should try to satisfy citizens’ information, participatory, and service needs in a timely manner, through their official social media channels during a public health crisis.

The role of government social media in enhancing environmental governance

ABSTRACT In light of the advancements in information and communication technologies and growing concerns over environmental issues, environmental protection agencies are increasingly turning to official social media platforms to promote environmental governance, especially in rapidly developing nations. The adoption of government social media has improved the effectiveness of environmental governance in various aspects, while also presenting some challenges. This paper summarizes findings from recent literature on the role of government social media in enhancing environmental governance. It also highlights prospective research topics on the use of social media in e-government within environmental protection departments, including investigating efficient government-citizen communication strategies using social media tools, comprehensively addressing aspects of e-government from both supply and demand perspectives, and understanding the underlying factors that contribute to the varying operating patterns of different government social media.