The Missing Link: Identifying Digital Intermediaries in E-Government

TL;DR

This paper identifies and categorizes digital intermediaries in e-government, highlighting their crucial yet underexplored role in shaping digital public service delivery, based on a case study of Chile.

Contribution

It introduces a new typology of digital intermediaries in e-government, emphasizing their importance in digitalization processes and providing empirical evidence from Chile.

Findings

Five types of intermediaries identified: family, peers, political figures, bureaucrats, community leaders.

Close intermediaries include family and peers; hierarchical include political figures, bureaucrats, community leaders.

All intermediaries significantly influence e-government service delivery.

Abstract

The digitalization of public administration has advanced significantly on a global scale. Many governments now view digital platforms as essential for improving the delivery of public services and fostering direct communication between citizens and public institutions. However, this view overlooks the role played by digital intermediaries significantly shape the provision of e-government services. Using Chile as a case study, we analyze these intermediaries through a national survey on digitalization, we find five types of intermediaries: family members, peers, political figures, bureaucrats, and community leaders. The first two classes comprise close intermediaries, while the latter three comprise hierarchical intermediaries. Our findings suggest that all these intermediaries are a critical but underexplored element in the digitalization of public administration.