Public Service Governance in the Digital Age: Relational Dynamics between the State, Citizens, and Businesses

Abstract

In a global context marked by the digital transformation of public institutions, the governance of public services is undergoing a complete redefinition. This shift affects coordination, participation, and accountability mechanisms, as highlighted by authors such as Osborne and Brown (2005). Digital technologies, by facilitating smoother, more transparent, and collaborative interactions, are changing the relationship between the State, citizens, and businesses. This research is situated within this framework, aiming to analyze the capacity of digital tools to strengthen public governance while meeting the expectations of users and economic actors. The methodology of this study is based on a quantitative approach. It relies on a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of citizens, civil servants, and business leaders. To test the links between transparency, participation, responsiveness, institutional trust, and stakeholder satisfaction, the collected data will be analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), an advanced technique frequently employed to evaluate cause-and-effect relationships in complex fields, as demonstrated by researchers such as Hair et al. (2010). The expected results should confirm that digital technologies act as a mediator, thereby improving the quality of relationships between different actors. They are also anticipated to demonstrate their contribution to the efficiency and legitimacy of public policies. This analysis will allow for the formulation of practical recommendations for a more interactive and user-centric public governance. To organize this research, the plan is structured around three main sections: a theoretical framework on public governance in the digital age, the presentation of the methodology and data, and finally, the analysis of the empirical results and their implications.