The influence of openness of public organizations and social media use on e-participation: the mediating effect of trust in e-government

ABSTRACT Nigeria implemented e-government in the early 2000s to improve public service delivery, promote citizens’ participation, enhance transparency and accountability. Twenty years after implementation, this study examines the influence of openness of public organizations, social media use and the mediating effect of trust in e-government on e-participation. The study proposed a conceptual model comprising seven hypotheses tested using PLS-SEM. Data were collected through a questionnaire from 689 respondents from Nigeria. The results show that openness of e-government and trust in e-government positively influence e-participation. The direct relationship between social media use and e-participation cannot be confirmed; however, trust in e-government mediates the indirect relationships. Similarly, it examines the role of social media use in investigating e-participation. The findings implied that public sector organizations and e-government implementers would learn and take advantage of the e-government system and social media strengths to meet the citizens’ expectations.