What the study found
Operational transparency, meaning the disclosure of information about government activities and processes on social media, helped people better understand how government works. It also fostered more favorable perceptions of government performance in time-sensitive operations, but it had limited influence on engagement and collaboration intentions.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that operational transparency serves functions beyond simply providing information. They conclude that the findings are relevant to research and practice on transparency and government social media communication.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted two survey experiments with broadly representative U.S. online samples. Study 1 included 1,003 participants and Study 2 included 1,594 participants.
What worked and what didn't
The results suggest that operational transparency improved understanding of government activities. The findings also indicate more favorable performance perceptions in time-sensitive areas. However, operational transparency showed limited influence on intentions to engage or collaborate.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the scope of the two survey experiments and the U.S. online samples used. The summary here is limited to the information provided in the title and abstract.
Key points
- Operational transparency on government social media improved understanding of how government works.
- It fostered more favorable perceptions of government performance in time-sensitive operations.
- It had limited influence on engagement and collaboration intentions.
- The study used two survey experiments with broadly representative U.S. online samples.
- Study 1 included 1,003 participants, and Study 2 included 1,594 participants.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Operational transparency improved understanding, not engagement
- Authors:
- Hung-Yi Hsu
- Institutions:
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-27
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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