The Costs of Digitalization. Social Media adaptation challenges within Public Administration Development

This research aims to analyze the extent and the ways in which Romanian public administration institutions are currently using social media, involving citizens in active collaboration within society. It also explores the main issues that need to be considered when implementing an e-Government strategy. Our paper aims to shed a light not only on the scarce literature on the field, but also the particularities of this research provides empirical references, analyzes opportunities and challenges for more effective e-Government processes and to provide better public services. In the same time, there are highlighted the main issues that local public institutions need to take into account when managing the transition to operations in a social media environment. In doing so, we explore how experts and public servants in Romania acknowledge the importance of social media and new tendencies, how they refer to the tools they use and the way they approach stakeholders and citizens. With the help of semi-structured interviews with practitioners in Romania, we aim to structure a frame of looking at the new tendencies in Public Administration Development, with a particular focus on new technology and social media in e-Government.

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