E-mail responsiveness in the public sector

Abstract

During the last decade, the scope of digital communication between citizens and the public sector has increased rapidly, and consequently, the use of Web technologies has replaced traditional face-to-face interactions and other conventional and accepted modes of communication and exchange. The aim of online dialogues is to provide the public with certain accepted standards and values of efficiency and effectiveness and thereby create more efficient communication channels with users, such as citizens and businesses. By shedding light on this fact, the present study investigates response time and quality with reference to e-mail inquiries to municipalities in Norway. The findings indicated that, in general, there is a short response time in the public sector. The quality of answers provided was relatively high, but a large variance was noticed in the profundity and complexity of the answers. It was observed that seventeen percent of the municipalities did not respond to the e-mail inquiry. A potential for possible improvements is also connected with the use of autoreplies, a function which has been implemented by only ten percent of the municipalities. The study offers suggestions and methods by which governments can improve their performance in the interest of enhanced service quality in the public sector. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.