Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South Korea
Abstract Does decentralisation lead to higher citizens' satisfaction with the public services that local governments provide? Despite arguments that decentralisation improves public service delivery, studies have not successfully verified the effects of decentralisation on citizen evaluations o...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.316 |
| _version_ | 1818733562153664512 |
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| author | Geiguen Shin Byong‐Kuen Jhee |
| author_facet | Geiguen Shin Byong‐Kuen Jhee |
| author_sort | Geiguen Shin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Does decentralisation lead to higher citizens' satisfaction with the public services that local governments provide? Despite arguments that decentralisation improves public service delivery, studies have not successfully verified the effects of decentralisation on citizen evaluations of local government services. Given the importance of increased local empowerment in promoting desired public goods, we examine whether the hypothesised advantages of decentralisation on public service delivery still hold when applied to citizens' satisfaction with public services. Specifically, we explore both the direct and indirect impacts of decentralisation on citizens' satisfaction through the mediating impact of the local management capacity in Korea. Based on structural equation modelling, the results indicate that decentralisation has a direct negative impact on public service satisfaction, but its impact is not mediated by local management capacity. Due to Korean citizens' lower expectations regarding decentralisation, citizens' satisfaction is not improved even when local management capacity is increased via higher decentralisation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:51:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e53835527cf54fef8c946fa1c0ce3765 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-2680 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:51:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-e53835527cf54fef8c946fa1c0ce37652022-12-21T21:28:12ZengWileyAsia & the Pacific Policy Studies2050-26802021-01-0181426710.1002/app5.316Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South KoreaGeiguen Shin0Byong‐Kuen Jhee1Department of Public Administration Kookmin University Seoul South KoreaDepartment of Political Science & International Relations Chosun University Gwangju South KoreaAbstract Does decentralisation lead to higher citizens' satisfaction with the public services that local governments provide? Despite arguments that decentralisation improves public service delivery, studies have not successfully verified the effects of decentralisation on citizen evaluations of local government services. Given the importance of increased local empowerment in promoting desired public goods, we examine whether the hypothesised advantages of decentralisation on public service delivery still hold when applied to citizens' satisfaction with public services. Specifically, we explore both the direct and indirect impacts of decentralisation on citizens' satisfaction through the mediating impact of the local management capacity in Korea. Based on structural equation modelling, the results indicate that decentralisation has a direct negative impact on public service satisfaction, but its impact is not mediated by local management capacity. Due to Korean citizens' lower expectations regarding decentralisation, citizens' satisfaction is not improved even when local management capacity is increased via higher decentralisation.https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.316citizens' satisfactiondecentralisationlocal government capacitypublic servicesSouth Korea |
| spellingShingle | Geiguen Shin Byong‐Kuen Jhee Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South Korea Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies citizens' satisfaction decentralisation local government capacity public services South Korea |
| title | Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South Korea |
| title_full | Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South Korea |
| title_fullStr | Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South Korea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South Korea |
| title_short | Better service delivery, more satisfied citizens? The mediating effects of local government management capacity in South Korea |
| title_sort | better service delivery more satisfied citizens the mediating effects of local government management capacity in south korea |
| topic | citizens' satisfaction decentralisation local government capacity public services South Korea |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.316 |
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