The nature of government-citizen communication in the Algerian Southern states

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the nature of citizens’ communication with local governments in the southern states of Algeria. Adopting an exploratory qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 respondents from four southern states of Algeria. The thematic analysis revealed three key themes related to the nature of government-citizen communication in the southern states of Algeria: frequency, type, and purpose. The findings of this study showed that conventional “face-to-face” communication was the dominant type of citizen communication with local governments. This study also showed that communication between local governments and citizens in the southern states of Algeria is limited, and does not reflect active citizen engagement in public affairs. The findings also suggest that the use of ICT and social media is limited. The primary implication of this study is that the extent of engagement and participation of citizens in decision-making processes at the level of local governments in the southern states of Algeria falls below expectations, which could potentially hinder the development process in the country. The findings of this study contribute significantly to the understanding of government-citizen communication in the southern states of Algeria. This study offers important practical recommendations that can help foster effective communication between local governments and citizens, especially in marginalised communities in Algeria and other countries in the North African region.

IMPACT STATEMENT

This study explores the nature of engagement and participation of citizens in the decision-making processes of local governments in the southern states of Algeria. The research highlights the current state of communication between local governments and citizens and explores the potentials of using technology to enhance communication. The study also suggests that communication between local governments and citizens is limited and does not indicate to an active citizen engagement in public affairs. The study proposes that the use of ICT and social media is limited in the southern states of Algeria. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the challenges faced in promoting active citizen engagement in public affairs in Algeria and other countries in the North African region.

Keywords:

• Public sector communication
• government–citizen communication
• local government
• citizen participation
• Algeria

Reviewing Editor:

• Read Robert, Economics, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK

Subjects:

• Political Communication
• Public Administration & Management

1. Introduction

Governments must maintain effective communication with citizens as leading providers of public services. Previous research has proposed that governments should incorporate citizens’ voices into the policy design and implementation processes (Almufti et al., 2023). Over the last two decades, the use of ICT tools, social media, and other digital technologies in communication has increased across many sectors. Governments in developed countries use different advanced communication tools to keep the public informed, promote transparency through effective communication, and engage citizens in decision-making processes (Kyakulumbye, Pather, & Jantjies, 2019). However, the situation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is quite different; most governments in this region are far behind in terms of using digitalised tools of communication, and the communication sector faces various challenges (Dhaoui, 2022). Worldwide, citizen participation and engagement in public affairs have become a central aim for public management, based on the idea that the involvement of those who are served is crucial for a thriving society (Piqueiras, Canel, & Luoma‐aho, 2020). According to Ducci, Materassi, and Solito (2020), in recent years, there has been emerging attention among scholars from different disciplines and countries on issues of public sector communication. This renewed attention has been focused on the important role that communication plays in the public sphere. In a drastically changing socio-communicative context, public institutions are realizing the pressing need to establish new relationships with citizens to gain their trust (Ducci et al., 2020).

Despite the importance of communication between government institutions and citizens in the effective provision of public services, existing research on public sector communication is still scarce. Government-citizen communication has not yet been rigorously examined, and more effort is needed to explore the challenges faced by government entities in communicating with and engaging citizens (Luoma‐aho & Canel, 2020). Moreover, previous studies have reported that most government services in developing nations, particularly in Africa, are underdeveloped. African countries lag in e-government and digital communication tools compared to other regions of the world, and ICT infrastructure is very limited (Mahlangu & Ruhode, 2021). Public administrations worldwide have initiated e-government platforms after realising their vital role in delivering effective and efficient services to citizens, the business sector, and other stakeholders (Idoughi & Abdelhakim, 2018). According to the United Nations E-Government Development Index, Algeria ranked 120 out of 193 nations. In addition, the county ranked 183 out of 193 nations in the E-Participation Index. Both indexes show that Algeria ranks very low compared to leading countries in the continent, such as Mauritius, Tunisia, and South Africa, in terms of online services, telecommunication infrastructure, and human capital indexes (Troudi, 2023).

Several studies have examined the issues of e-governance, government-citizen communication, and citizen participation in Algeria (Adnane & Benlahcen, 2022; Araba, watched, & Dafur, 2016; Soudani, 2022; Soufiane & Ibrahim, 2021). However, the nature of government-citizen communication in the southern states of Algeria remains unexamined. Additionally, there is a scarcity of studies on government-citizen communication in Algeria, and the importance of effective communication for citizen participation and the development of local communities. This qualitative study examines the nature of citizens’ communication with local governments in the southern states of Algeria. This study explored three important aspects of government–citizen communication in the southern states of Algeria (purpose, types, and frequency) of communication between citizens and local governments in these states. One of the main aims of this study was to lay the groundwork for further examination and analysis of this issue in Algeria, particularly in underdeveloped areas. The study included participants from four different southern states (Adrar, Béchar, Béni Abbès, and Timimoun) to provide a sound analysis of the issue. According to Wang and Lim (2011), communication between governments and citizens is a challenge, especially in countries with large geographical areas, large populations, or a large gap between the rich and poor (Wang & Lim, 2011). The central question formulated to guide the current study is as follows: What is the current state of citizens’ communication with local governments in the southern states of Algeria? In addition, by taking an exploratory qualitative approach, this study can uncover and scrutinise unmapped issues, provide valuable insights to future researchers, and steer the attention of decision-makers in the Algerian government to the current problems of government-citizen communication.

The current study contributes to the field of public policy and public communication not only in Algeria but also in other countries in the region. The findings of this study are significant to the scant literature on government-citizen communication in Algeria and can open avenues for further examination. Moreover, practical insights can be drawn from the findings of this study, which can help boost the development process in regions suffering from various issues pertaining to poor infrastructure and public services. The significance of this study also stems from its focus on an area that has not received a fair share of resource allocation from different governments and is yet to receive proper attention from researchers in the field of public administration. The overall outline of this paper begins with an introduction that provides an overview of the topic and presents the research objectives. This is followed by the methodology section, which describes the research approach, data collection methods, and analyses used in this study. The findings section presents the research results and highlights key findings. The discussion section interprets and analyzes the findings in relation to the research questions and offers insights, explanations, and potential implications. Finally, the conclusion summarises the main points discussed in this study, restates the research objectives, and provides recommendations.

2. Materials and methods

To scrutinise the nature of citizens’ communication with local governments in the southern states of Algeria, this study adopted an exploratory qualitative design. This approach allows for a deep analysis of social phenomena experienced by participants in their natural settings (Benlahcene & Ramdani, 2021; Khankeh, Ranjbar, Khorasani-Zavareh, Zargham-Boroujeni, & Johansson, 2015). The central philosophical assumption of qualitative research is that understanding a complex issue requires taking in consideration multiple “realities” experiences by the respondents of the study. Thus, natural settings are favoured for identifying how respondents construct their own interpretations of situations and events (Suter, 2011). Considering that the issue of focus in this study is understudied and that the nature of communication between local governments and citizens in the southern states of Algeria has not been explored in previous empirical research, an exploratory approach is expected to generate new and valuable insights.

This study was conducted at different locations in four Southern states in Algeria, namely: Adrar, Béchar, Béni Abbès, Timimoun. The population sample included two groups of respondents, citizens and public officials from local governments. Following a purposive sampling technique, the study selected respondents for their potential to provide insights into the issue being studied and to yield rich information on the nature of government-citizen communication in the southern states of Algeria. According to Creswell and Poth (2016), purposive sampling implies that the researcher intentionally selects participants who can best inform an understanding of the research phenomenon or problem under examination (Creswell & Poth, 2016). Sampling in qualitative studies continues until data saturation is reached, or when no new insights are collected from expanding the sample further (Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, & Ormston, 2013). The final number of respondents included 30 citizens and 13 public officials.

Data were collected using semi-structured interview which was developed based on the objective of the study. Interview sessions were conducted between January and May 2022. Interviews provide researchers with rich and detailed qualitative data to understand participants’ experiences, how they describe those experiences, and the meaning of those experiences (Castillo-Montoya, 2016). The purpose of using semi-structured interviewers is to attempt to be sensitive and interactive to the concepts and words expressed by the interviewee, and to keep the interview guide flexible (Benlahcene & Ramdani, 2021). Moreover, a study applying qualitative interviews has the potential to give voice to minorities and groups in society that may not be heard elsewhere (McGrath, Palmgren, & Liljedahl, 2019). Interviews were recorded, field notes were taken, and all respondents signed consent forms and were assured of the confidentiality of the collected data. The interviews focused on collecting data on three aspects related to government-citizen communication: frequency, type, and purpose. All 43 interviews were transcribed shortly after the end of data collection phase of the study. The median age of the respondents was 38 years; approximately 70% were male and 30% were female. Furthermore, about 60% of the interviewees had tertiary education. The following are the three interview questions that guided the data-collection phase in this study:

1. How often do you communicate with the local governments?

2. What types of communication tools do you use in communicating with local governments offices and agencies?

3. What is the main purpose of your communication or interaction with local authorities?

The collected data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, and the process was manually facilitated. Several techniques were utilised to prepare the data for its correct interpretation, which involved several stages, such as data selection, reduction, and condensation, as well as identifying and abstracting the main issues. The data was subsequently organised in a manner that ensured the accurate representation of the analysed themes. Moreover, based on Braun and Clarke’s method, six phases were considered to explore the key themes in the analysis: (1) reading and re-reading the transcripts (familiarisation), (2) developing the primary codes, (3) determining the themes and sub-themes, (4) evaluating the detected themes, (5) labelling the themes, and (6) reporting the findings (Braun & Clarke, 2006). According to Turner (2010), the final phase of the data analysis process is the interpretation of data gathered during the interview process. During this phase, the researcher must make “sense” out of what was just uncovered and compile the data into sections or groups of information, also known as themes or codes (Turner III, 2010). The three authors of this study contributed to the analysis process and read, reflected, and coded the transcribed interviews independently to extract the meaning units. The specified codes were then assessed to detect the sub-themes. Lastly, possible connections between the subthemes were examined, and the main themes were identified.

3. Results

The analysis of the collected data generated three main themes related to government-citizen communication in the Algerian Southern states. These themes reflect three aspects of the current nature of government-citizens communication in the Algerian Southern states, including frequency of communication activities of citizens with local governments, types or methods of communication used between citizens and local governments, and the different purposes of citizens’ communicating with local governments in four selected southern states, namely: Adrar, Béchar, Béni Abbès, Timimoun. See Figure 1 for further details.

Figure 1. Nature of Government-Citizens Communication in the Algerian Southern States.

Source: Data Analysis Output. .

3.1. Frequency of government-citizen communication in Algerian Southern states

This theme refers mainly to how often citizens communicate with local governments in the southern states of Algeria. Interviewees generally depicted the frequency of communication between citizens and local governments as limited, moderate, or no communication with local government offices, agencies, and institutions. The interviewees’ perspectives echoed the communication gap between the citizens and local governments. One interviewee stated,

“If I am being honest, there is no communication at all between me and the local authorities. I cannot remember the last time I reach out to any local government office”

Another interviewee mentioned the following.

“I would say that there is some kind of communication between me and local authorities but it is very limited. Local authorities are not that involved or closed to people, at least in this neighbourhood”

Another interviewee said,

“What would be the reason to communicate with these agencies? I do not see what difference it will make, because people issues are ignored most of the time”

3.2. Types of government-citizen communication in Algerian Southern states

The types of communication between citizens and local governments were another main theme that emerged from the analysis of interviewees’ perspectives. This theme refers to the forms of communication. Interviewees reported three main categories: face-to-face communication, written communication, and communication through social media. However, analysis of the data suggested that most communication between citizens and local governments is conventional, and the use of technological tools and social media is very limited, as reported by the interviewees. This is depicted in the following statements.

“It is often through face-to-face meetings; by going to offices and departments of local authorities. This is the main way to reach out and talk to the local authorities here”

Another interviewee mentioned the following.

“In most cases, if I had something to communicate with the local authorities, I would do that by writing my concerns and mailing them to the designated office. In fact, a lot of my friends do that, we try to deliver our concerns or needs to the local offices of the government by writing instead of meeting them face-to-face”

Another interviewee mentioned the following.

“I usually use social media, mainly through Facebook to communicate with the different offices and departments of the local government”

3.3. Purpose of government-citizen communication in Algerian Southern states

Finally, the purpose of communication between citizens and the local government was the last theme that emerged from the analysis of interviewees’ perspectives and experiences. The four aims of communication are categorised as follows: obtaining documents, solving issues, personal interests, social issues, and security issues.

The interviewees mentioned the following.

“I would say that the main reason for communicating with the local government is to get some official documentations or to submit documents”

The interviewees mentioned the following.

“My purpose in communicating with local authorities is to talk about existing problems at the neighbourhood level or for an administrative issue that concerns me.”

The interviewees mentioned the following.

“When I reach out to local authorities it is because I want to inquire about some information or raise concerns about social issues”

4. Discussion

This study investigated the nature of government–citizen communication in the southern states of Algeria, particularly in the provinces of Adrar, Béchar, Béni Abbès, and Timimoun. The southern provinces of Algeria have suffered from insufficient investments in infrastructure and public services. The study focused on three aspects in scrutinising communication between citizens and local governments: frequency, type, and purpose of communication. In doing so, the results of this study offer a preliminary terrain for further research in the field within the context of Algeria. Likewise, the results of this study could provide important practical recommendations that can assist in establishing more effective and engaging methods for communication between citizens and local governments in marginalised communities, not only in Algeria but also in the MENA region. The importance of these findings lies in the implications of understanding the current state of government–citizen communication and citizens’ participation in public policy issues that affect their welfare. This understanding could contribute to redesigning, innovating, and restructuring communication strategies to engage citizens in the decision-making process. Another significance of this study stems from the fact that Algerian public sector institutions are far behind in terms of ICT use, social media platforms, and AI tools in communication. Public institutions in Algeria, especially at the local government level, need a strategic focus on creating more accessible and sustainable tools to promote public participation in the decision-making process, particularly in southern states.

The frequency of citizen communication with local government agencies and institutions has several implications. First, the lack of communication between citizens and local governments can be attributed to the absence of a public-centric approach to communication and decision making in the Algerian public sector. In line with this, Yudarwati and Gregory (2022) stated that previous studies have argued for a more publicly centred approach to communication between governments and citizens. In addition, studies on public relations in the context of public sector institutions have stressed the importance of public-centric approaches to communicating with citizens. Frequent and effective communication between government and citizens plays a pivotal role in community development. Current changes in citizens’ perceptions and expectations require the encouragement of new communication patterns that promote holding power with the public instead of holding power over the public (Canel & Luoma-aho, 2018).

The lack of citizen interaction with local governments can also be attributed to a lack of trust in local authorities. One way to increase citizen participation in local government affairs is to establish mechanisms by which trust between the two parties is enhanced through accountability, transparency, and ICT use in public institutions (Mahmood, Weerakkody, & Chen, 2020). Previous studies have also presented several other issues contributing to the lack of interactions between citizens and governments, including problems related to the supply side of e-governance, such as ineffective online platforms and approaches (Akdogan, 2010; Steyaert, 2000). Other studies suggest that some of these problems are related to the demand side, where the willingness of citizens to engage is impacted by the perceived usefulness and availability of digital tools (Maziashvili, Pleśniak, & Kowalik, 2023). Moreover, the lack of communication between citizens and governments can be explained by cultural and structural factors within local governments which hinder the development of citizen participation (Badia, Borin, & Donato, 2014; Lokaimoe, Bartocho, & Omillo, 2021; Sabri, 2009). Hence, to encourage citizen participation and engagement, local governments in Algeria need to accelerate the use of ICT tools, understand the needs of local communities, and invest in employee training to create a culture of openness to citizens’ inputs. Previous research has shown that the effective use of e-governance and technologies can encourage citizens’ involvement in various areas, which has received attention in recent years due to its potential to improve quality of life (Oliveira, Oliver, & Ramalhinho, 2020; Wirajing & Nchofoung, 2023).

The types and methods of citizen communication with local government agencies and institutions in southern states of Algeria suggest that government-citizen communication in the country still lags far behind in terms of innovation, use of technology, adoption of social media tools, and development of the current poor infrastructure. In line with this, several studies have established that most government services in developing countries, particularly in Africa, are unavailable online. Compared with the rest of the world, Africa lags behind in e-government development and basic e-government services are still difficult to find in African countries, and only limited services are offered online (Mahlangu & Ruhode, 2021). Although some of the respondents in this study mentioned the use of social media in communicating with local governments, this was not the major type of communication between citizens and local governments. Despite the significance of using social media platforms and ICT tools to improve government-citizen communication, the current methods used in the context of the southern states of Algeria are face-to-face and written communication. For example, previous research suggests that the open and participatory nature of social media platforms can offer important benefits by providing interactive and synchronous communication between citizens and governments, bringing new impetus to citizen participation (Chen et al., 2020).

The types of communication used by local governments to engage with citizens in the southern states of Algeria reflect the limited and unadvanced options available for establishing effective two-way interactions between citizens and local governments. In line with this, Mukumbareza, Olugbara, and Adeliyi (2023) stated that many African countries face significant challenges in providing e-governance services due to ICT limitations, which are exacerbated by factors such as low economic growth, inadequate infrastructure, and cultural considerations. These constraints are particularly obvious compared to other regions of the world (Mukumbareza et al., 2023). Moreover, a number of studies have pointed to various elements that contribute to the absence of electronic government tools for communication between citizens and government in Africa. Kyem (2016) argued that despite the widespread use of mobile phones in sub-Saharan Africa, the potential of using these devices for e-government purposes has been largely overlooked due to a lack of consideration in e-government program planning. In addition, research has shown that a shortage of qualified personnel, inadequate infrastructure, and limited resources are the primary reasons for the slow progress and high failure rates of e-government projects in Africa (Dias, 2020; Jain & Akakandelwa, 2016). Similarly, Jakpa-Johns and Halkias (2022) identified various systematic issues, including access to finance, inadequate technological readiness, weak institutional quality, and poor infrastructure, as contributing factors to the lack of technology usage for communication between citizens and local governments (Jakpa-Johns & Halkias, 2022).

Governments worldwide have encouraged and devised the implementation of ICT in governance, and as a result, a number of e-government applications have been utilised in both developed and developing nations (Kyakulumbye et al., 2019). However, citizens in the southern states of Algeria do not have diverse or accessible options that would allow them to approach local authorities and participate in public affairs using different tools. In line with this, several studies have revealed that one way to encourage more meaningful communication between citizens and local government agencies is to diversify the channels of communication and use of technology (Oliveira et al., 2020; Thabit & Jasim, 2019); that is, to build an effective communication infrastructure in the country. The use of ICT tools and social media platforms is necessary in current times of rapid change and technological development. Social media platforms and ICT tools greatly contribute to helping citizens benefit from government services. The quality and effectiveness of government services can be measured by the forms and quality of electronic services provided to the public and how these services ease government-citizen communication (Almufti et al., 2023).

The final theme of this study addressed the purpose of government-citizen communication in the southern Algerian states based on the perspectives and lived experiences of the participants. The purpose of this theme was to probe the nature of citizens’ interactions with local authorities, both as principals and customers, regarding the services provided by local government agencies. The findings suggest that government interactions are limited to narrow purposes that do not reflect dynamic and effective citizen engagement in the public affairs decision-making process. Previous studies argue that citizens’ engagement in public affairs goes beyond the simple exchange of information but includes effective involvement that results in establishing trust between the government and citizens (Chen et al., 2020).

In the context of this study, respondents mainly interacted with local authorities to obtain documents and solve personal interests, social issues, and security issues. The purposes mentioned by the respondents in this study did not reflect real citizens’ engagement in local affairs. This study argues that government-citizen communication is more crucial to the development of local communities. One of the reasons for this situation is poor e-governance initiatives, lack of strategic planning, and lack of awareness regarding the importance of government-citizen communication in the country (Leila & Abdelhak, 2022). Moreover, Soudani (2022) suggested that Algeria is far behind global standards for the use of ICT tools in the provision of government services. There is a crucial digital gap in the country across many significant sectors, such as technological infrastructure, communication, education, trade, judiciary, and health (Soudani, 2022). One strategy for establishing effective communication and participation with citizens is for governments to equip their agencies and institutions with e-government and intelligent governance systems. This can help improve the effectiveness of public services, improve the efficiency of public agencies, and provide democratic legitimacy to local governments (Antonio & Danilo, 2023).

This study posits that policymakers in Algeria need to strategise government-citizen communication. A holistic approach to citizen participation and engagement must be adopted at all levels of the government. Chen et al. (2020) posited that “effective citizen engagement implies embedding public participation in political activities such as public policy discussions, enhances understanding, and promotes transparent decision-making” (Chen et al., 2020). Citizens’ interactions with local governments need to be more frequent, innovative methods of communication must be adopted, and awareness among both citizens and public officials must be raised regarding the importance of citizen participation in the development process in the country. There is also a need to accelerate the adoption of effective ICT tools and innovative communication platforms. Further research is needed on government investments in communication and technology infrastructure in the southern states of Algeria. Social, economic, and geographical challenges must be analysed and addressed properly to establish effective communication tools between local governments and citizens. Policymakers and community leaders must mobilise their efforts to create more accessible and inclusive platforms for citizen participation in public affairs.

5. Conclusion

This study provides significant insights for practice, as it offers an understanding of local governments on existing issues related to government-citizen communication, which will help design initiatives that will increase the quality and quantity of citizens’ participation. In addition, the current research contributes to the field of government-citizen communication in marginalised communities. Although several studies have been conducted on issues of public communication, e-governance, and public participation in Algeria, issues of government-citizen communication in the southern states remain unexamined. Furthermore, we argue that any serious intention to contribute to the development of E-governance and E-participation frameworks in a country must begin with a comprehensive analysis and policy efforts directed towards establishing a sound understanding of the nature of the relationship between citizens and local governments, examining social and economic factors, and addressing the issues of technological resources.

This study was conducted after the COVID-19 health crisis; hence, citizens were recovering from difficult economic conditions and the various restrictions that were implemented to control the health crisis, and there were many uncertainties regarding government policies for economic recovery. Moreover, reaching rigor is difficult to maintain, assess, and demonstrate in qualitative studies. The limited generalisability of the findings is attributed to the specific nature of the collected data, which solely represents the subjective experiences of a limited number of respondents and the unique social and political conditions of the southern states of Algeria. In addition, because we were not allowed to record audio files, transcript errors can be mentioned as another limitation of this study. This study was limited by these conditions. As part of our future research efforts pertaining to issues of government-citizen communication in Algeria, we plan to explore the challenges and problems of government-citizen communication in the Algerian southern states.

About the author

Dr. Abderrahmane Benlahcene is an Assistant Professor at the College of Commerce and Business Administration, Dhofar University. His research focus is geared towards the field of public policy and governance, leadership, and organizational behaviour. This study is part of a broader research project aimed at exploring the challenges and opportunities of citizen participation in public decision-making processes in the Southern states of Algeria. The research team includes Dr. Abderrahmane Benlahcene, Dr. Abbas Ramdani, and Dr. Boubakeur Safi.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The data used in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author and subject to any necessary permissions and confidentiality agreements.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was gained for this research.