Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on public managers' attitudes toward digital transformation

Area of Science:

• Public Administration
• Information Systems
• Urban Studies

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation globally.
• Local public managers' attitudes towards Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are presumed to have shifted.
• This shift has not been systematically measured, creating a knowledge gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically measure the attitudes of local public managers towards ICT before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To quantify the impact of the pandemic on public managers' perceptions of ICT's role in urban development.
• To compare attitude changes towards ICT with changes towards other significant issues like climate change and citizen participation.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, utilizing both explicit and implicit measures.
• Attitudes were assessed prior to and following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Data collection involved surveying local public managers.

Main Results:

• The study found a significant positive shift in public managers' attitudes towards ICT post-pandemic.
• Public managers demonstrated increased confidence in ICT's capacity to address urban economic, social, and environmental challenges.
• Attitude changes towards ICT were comparable to those towards scientific progress and greater than those towards climate change, citizen participation, or privacy.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrably enhanced public managers' trust and confidence in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
• ICT is increasingly viewed as a vital tool for achieving urban sustainability and resilience.
• Future urban policy and management strategies should leverage the heightened acceptance of ICT among public officials.