Community-Oriented or Self-Interested? Citizen Motivations for Engaging in Digital Coproduction

Abstract

Public organizations increasingly use digitally enabled platforms such as 311 (a nonemergency service in the United States) to facilitate coproduction and improve service delivery. While prior research has examined coproducers' motivations, we know little about motivations for digital coproduction. This study examines whether residents who engage in digital coproduction are motivated by self-interest or community orientation, and whether motivations vary by neighborhood-level income. Using supervised machine learning and spatial regression on a dataset of digital 311 requests from Newark, New Jersey, we find that most resident requests reflect community-oriented motivations, and these are more prevalent in lower-income neighborhoods. These findings shed light on the motivations driving digital coproduction and highlight the potential of 311-like systems to foster a sense of community, especially in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. By understanding these motivations, public organizations can better harness digital platforms to strengthen civic engagement, bridging social divides and empowering residents to shape their communities more actively.