نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

• معصومه نجیبی ¹
• مصطفی هادوی نژاد ²

¹ کارشناس ارشد مدیریت دولتی دانشگاه ولی‌‌عصر، رفسنجان، ایران

² دانشیار مدیریت دانشگاه ولی‌‌عصر رفسنجان، ایران.

چکیده

مشروعیت و اثربخشی هر دولت مردم‌‌سالار در گرو اعتماد عمومی به آن است. از این رو، تلاش می‌‌شود تا در مقام نظر، متغیرهای مستقل مؤثر در آن توسط اندیشه‌‌وران مدیریت دولتی شناسایی و در مقام عمل، توسط دولت­مردان و مدیران دولتی اجرایی شوند. بنا بر برخی استدلال­های نظری، از جمله راهکارهای دارای ظرفیت افزایش اعتماد عمومی، آمادگی دولت الکترونیک از رهگذر شفافیت سازمانی است. این ادعای نظری در حد گمانه­زنی و نیازمند آزمون با داده­های عینی است. در همین راستا، پژوهش حاضر با هدف بررسی رابطه بین آمادگی دولت الکترونیک و اعتماد عمومی، با تبیین نقش واسط شفافیت سازمانی صورت پذیرفته است. به این منظور نمونه‌‌ای 311 نفری از اعضای هیئت‌علمی دانشگاه‌‌های دولتی شیراز انتخاب و پرسش­نامه‌‌هایی متناسب با متغیرها -که روایی و پایایی آن‌ها آزمون شده بود- توسط ایشان پاسخ­دهی شد. به­منظور آزمون فرضیه­ها، نخست با تحلیل عاملی تأییدی، مدل‌‌های اندازه‌‌گیری پژوهش ارزیابی و در ادامه داده‌‌ها با رگرسیون چندگانه، به مدل‌‌های معادله ساختاری در نرم‌‌افزار Amos Graphics برازش شدند. بر اساس نتایج، در سطح اطمینان 99 درصد، روابط مدل و نقش میانجی جزئی شفافیت سازمانی تأیید شدند. بنابراین، معلوم شد آمادگی دولت الکترونیک دارای اثر مثبت در شفافیت سازمانی و اعتماد عمومی است و شفافیت سازمانی نیز میانجی و دارای تأثیر افزاینده در اعتماد عمومی است.

کلیدواژه‌ها

• اعتماد
• اعتماد عمومی
• شفافیت سازمانی
• دولت الکترونیک
• آمادگی دولت الکترونیک

موضوعات

• مدیریت

عنوان مقاله [English]

From E-Government Readiness to Public Trust: Explaining the Mediating Role of Organizational Transparency

نویسندگان [English]

• Masoumeh Najibi ¹
• Mostafa Hadavinejad ²

¹ M.A., Department of Management, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Management, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Iran.

چکیده [English]

Introduction
Public trust, defined as people’s belief in the behaviors and actions they expect from the government, is a crucial indicator of the effectiveness and legitimacy of a democratic government. This trust is of particular importance to public affairs managers, who work to enhance it by using their skills and independence, and by identifying and applying the most effective methods and tools. Low public trust in the government or public organizations reflects public pessimism. Many people believe that governments are not functioning effectively, leading to a lack of trust. Therefore, for governments to provide better service to citizens, they must create an optimal level of public trust. A key area of interest for theorists and researchers is exploring the strategies governments use to reverse the decline in public trust. One proposed solution is e-government readiness, which refers to the ability of an organization, group, or unit to successfully adopt and benefit from information and communication technologies (ICT). It is argued that e-government readiness can enhance public trust by streamlining bureaucratic processes, channeling the citizens’ voice to the government, and making government services to the public more transparent and accessible. In addition, transparency is claimed to be essential for fostering and rebuilding trust in government. Transparency can help prevent mistakes by government officials by encouraging public oversight and dialogue between citizens and policymakers before decisions are made. ICT is often seen as an affordable and appropriate means to promote transparency. As a result, in recent years, e-government initiatives have been implemented with the aim of increasing transparency. This suggests that e-government may enhance public trust in government by increasing transparency. This theoretical conception is the central concern of the present research.
Materials and Methods
The present study used a survey research method to collect the data. A sample of 311 faculty members from public universities in Shiraz was selected. They completed questionnaires based on the variables, whose validity and reliability were tested. To test the hypotheses, the study first relied on confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the research measurement models. Then, the data was analyzed using structural equation modeling with multiple regression in AMOS Graphics software. Baron and Kenny’s (1986) method was employed to investigate the mediating role of organizational transparency. The process examined the significance of the effects of the independent variables on the dependent variable, the independent variables on the mediator, and the mediator on the dependent variable. Subsequently, the effect of the mediator variable was held constant, and the insignificance of the independent variable’s effect on the dependent variable was measured.
Results and Discussion
At the 99% confidence level, the relationships within the model and the partial mediating role of organizational transparency were confirmed. It was found that e-government readiness positively affects organizational transparency, and both public trust and organizational transparency act as mediators, increasing public trust. Previous research generally indicated that greater access to information and increased transparency through ICT enhance public trust in the government. Although the present study confirmed that e-government readiness has a partial direct effect on public trust through organizational transparency, it also revealed that e-government readiness independently has the capacity to build public trust.
Conclusion
According on the results, managers of public organizations are advised to focus on increasing various forms of organizational transparency, including participatory, informational, accountability, overall, and secretive transparency. Furthermore, since e-government readiness is seen as a key factor in enhancing organizational transparency and public trust, it is suggested that government organizations strengthen their e-government capabilities. To achieve this, it is essential to establish clear strategies, objectives, and action plans related to IT. The goals of the IT sector should be focused on internet-based activities. Additionally, it is important to ensure that those responsible for implementing e-government within the organization have the support and access to senior management. IT should be integrated into all activities and aspects of individual roles within the organization, and efforts should be made to promote it in a way that satisfies stakeholders. The organization’s service delivery process must be transformed through the use of IT. Extensive collaboration with other public organizations is necessary to solve problems, provide services, and performs tasks more effectively through electronic means. Moreover, clear processes should be set up to assess and compare the organization’s e-government strategy with its current implementation status, while continuously monitoring and evaluating e-government activities. It is also essential to develop standard criteria for the use of IT by both employees and clients, and high-quality information should be provided to stakeholders. Appropriate software solutions should be offered to stakeholders, and a high-quality website is a necessity. Adequate security measures must be implemented for the organization’s IT, and high-quality hardware suitable for its IT needs should be used. Hiring skilled and dedicated staff for the organization’s IT unit is crucial, as is involving stakeholders in the design, development, and modification of the organization’s IT systems. Finally, it is essential to ensure the availability of necessary hardware, software, and personnel to support IT operations in the workplace.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

• Trust
• Public trust
• E-government
• E-government readiness
• Organizational transparency