The social communication tools and citizens' relationship with local governments. A comparison of Georgian and Polish cities
(A2021-94109)

AUTHORS

Maia Maziashvili, Warsaw School of Economics; Izabela Kowalik, Warsaw School of Economics

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of digital tools’ application by citizens and the perceived usefulness of social media, on the relationship between the citizens and local authorities. The data was gathered in April-September 2020 through a survey (CAWI) among citizens of Poznan, Poland (n=502), and citizens of Kutaisi, Georgia (n=504), and analyzed with structural equation modeling. The findings show that the intensity of digital communication tools’ usage for the purpose of participation in the city matters and the usefulness of social media contribute to the lasting relationships between citizens and local authorities in both countries. The novelty of this research concerns the comparison of two countries with different levels of development. Moreover, the research has been conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and evidenced the growing popularity of digital tools, as well as the citizens’ readiness to adopt novel communication methods to participate in city matters.