To tweet or not to tweet? Social networking strategies in Catalan local governments

Balcells, Joan; Padró-Solanet, Albert; Serrano, Iván

Abstract:

Abstract: Why the potential for better government associated with ICTs is still underdeveloped despite both the initial promises of modernization and the amount of invested resources? This paper takes the adoption and management of Twitter accounts by Catalan local governments as a means to understand the complex incentives and tensions that are behind the heterogeneous use of social networks by public administrations. Three analyses are combined: a cross-section analysis explaining the adoption of an official Twitter account; a content analysis of the Twitter activity, and a survey on Twitter perceptions aimed at communication managers. The results show that effective interaction with citizens and stakeholders through social network tools requires, firstly, an organization committed to that aim (which ultimately implies the involvement and support of the top political level) and, secondly, a previous rationalization effort in order to adapt organizational processes to a more citizen-oriented sort of governance.

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