A Citizen-Centered Analysis of What Public Services are Suitable for Digital Communication Channels

The benefits of digitalizing public services can only be met if citizens adopt digital services while at the same time stop using expensive traditional channels. Still, many citizens keep using traditional channels. Studies on channel choice and IT adoption have addressed what factors influence citizens’ channel behavior. However, they have omitted the interplay between citizens’ perceptions of public services and their channel choices, as well as how the design of digital services and citizens' experience of using self-service applications affect their channel choice. In addition, the technological optimism of digital government may have caused us to overlook the important question whether all public services are suitable for digitalization. In this ongoing research paper, we present the outline of a research project starting this summer, in which we will critically analyze – from the perspectives of citizens and public sector organizations – what public services are suitable for digital communication channels.