Exploring social media initiatives to increase public value in public administration. The case of the Department of Communication and Information System (GCIS)

Abstract

This article explores the utilisation of social media to increase public value. It focuses on the Department of Communication and Information System (GCIS) and its utilisation of Twitter, particularly the South African Government Twitter account – @GovernmentZA. Social media is discussed within the context of public administration, highlighting its use as part of Government 2.0 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Within the statutory and regulatory frameworks, public servants are expected to place the needs of the citizenry first. Furthermore, citizens are entitled to access information, participate in democratic processes and express their views. Social media provides a platform through which all of these expectations can be realised. The study relied on qualitative research methods, which included semistructured interviews with GCIS employees, the tweets collected from @ GovernmentZA and citizens’ responses. Secondary data was gathered from books, journals, Twitter, policy documents, relevant legislation, published articles, the internet and annual reports to acquire knowledge and insight to respond to the study’s objectives. The study utilised a thematic analysis to identify themes in the data related to public value. The data was analysed through ATLAS.ti.