Satisfaction with information services among individuals in China's urban communities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose This paper aims to study individuals’ information service satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in China’s urban communities. Design/methodology/approach The researchers analyse people’s uncertainties during the pandemic and argue that uncertainties caused by the lockdown can negatively affect people. By reducing people’s uncertainty during the pandemic, community staff members can improve individuals’ information service satisfaction and social order. This study constructs a conceptual model that includes key transparency and self-disclosure constructs and their relationships that can contribute to the trust and satisfaction of the community information service phenomenon. The researchers collected 489 responses to test their hypothesis from an online survey of Chinese residents in areas where the strict lockdown policy was implemented. Findings The empirical results show that policy and goods information transparency significantly affect information service satisfaction in a positive way, with goods information transparency having the highest impact. Second, self-disclosure of community staff members is also an effective way to increase information service satisfaction. Finally, trust plays a mediating role in the influence of information transparency and self-disclosure on information service satisfaction. Originality/value This paper innovatively uses uncertainty reduction theory to examine the effects of information transparency and self-disclosure on satisfaction with community information services. It expands the research in the field of information service satisfaction and extends the scope of the research subjects of self-disclosure.