Winning digital citizens: A model and instrument

Citizens may not always be right, but governments are recognizing their right to exercise more control over their public service experience. As government agencies increasingly explore the use of digital capabilities to empower citizens and increase their engagement, Gov2.0 has emerged as an enabler and an enhancer of citizen engagement. Government agencies that adjust their engagement models to include one or more of these tools stand to gain engaged digital citizens who are more empowered with positive engagement experiences. However, little research has been done on citizen empowerment to realize public value via citizen participation and satisfaction. Our understanding about the drivers that encourage citizen to participate via Gov2.0 is limited due to the lack of rigorous research that covers issues beyond the e-government field. Therefore, this paper discusses a transdisciplinary model that identifies the relevant empowerment dimensions that affect citizen participation and satisfaction. This paper extends prior literature by evaluating citizen empowerment as a precedent of citizen participation and satisfaction, which in turn is expected to enhance public value. Further, it proposes a validated research instrument that can be employed in citizen's survey. It can also be used as an evaluation tool to identify, measure, and manage citizen participation via Gov2.0. Implications of the study suggest a need to consider citizen empowerment in understanding citizen participation and satisfaction.