María del Carmen Caba Pérez

Using Twitter for Dialogic Communication: Local Government Strategies in the European Union

AbstractSocial networks have changed the way in which governments communicate with citizens, encouraging them to participate in decision-making processes. Nevertheless, few studies have specifically addressed the use of social networks in public sector from the standpoint of dialogic communication theory. The aim of this study is, first, to analyse the extent to which European local governments are developing dialogic strategies in their Twitter profiles in order to establish and enhance relations with their citizens and then to examine the impact of certain factors on the implementation of these dialogic strategies. The findings show that the situation is open to improvement, because local governments are mostly unaware of the benefits offered by the use of dialogic principles when establishing online relationships with stakeholders. Therefore, this paper sheds light on the dialogic potential that social networks provide in public sector, and particularly, it offers a guide regarding how local government...Abstract Social networks have changed the way in which governments communicate with citizens, encouraging them to participate in decision-making processes. Nevertheless, few studies have specifically addressed the use of social networks in public sector from the standpoint of dialogic communication theory. The aim of this study is, first, to analyse the extent to which European local governments are developing dialogic strategies in their Twitter profiles in order to establish and enhance relations with their citizens and then to examine the impact of certain factors on the implementation of these dialogic strategies. The findings show that the situation is open to improvement, because local governments are mostly unaware of the benefits offered by the use of dialogic principles when establishing online relationships with stakeholders. Therefore, this paper sheds light on the dialogic potential that social networks provide in public sector, and particularly, it offers a guide regarding how local government should implement Twitter to foster the dialogic communication with citizens.

An International Analysis of the Quality of Open Government Data Portals

National governments are increasingly aware of the importance of carrying out Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives for the provision of public sector information and for use and reuse without restriction or charge by society. Therefore, the aim of this article is to examine and compare the quality of the OGD portals created by national governments, in terms of three analytical aspects: function, semantics, and content, and to identify the impact of diverse factors on the quality of these portals. The results obtained show there is considerable heterogeneity among OGD portals, reflecting the lack of harmonization and the need for quality standards. In this regard, the quality of the OGD portals examined is only at an intermediate level and is affected by the level of Internet penetration and the economic capacity of each country.

The Use of Facebook to Promote Engagement with Local Governments in Spain

Social media have changed how governments communicate with society, encouraging participation and the interaction of citizens in public affairs. The main aim of this study is to analyse the online practices of Spanish local governments, through Facebook, to examine the factors that influence these practices and to determine citizens’ mood in this respect. The results obtained show that the popularity and virality of municipal Facebook pages are greater than their followers’ degree of commitment. Users take a positive view of the pages, and the type of information most commonly shared on Facebook by Spanish local governments is of a social nature. Factors that influence local government’s Facebook practices include the level of internet use among the population, the level of municipal debt, the number of inhabitants and the economic capacity of the population.

Determinantes de la información sostenible divulgada por las empresas de electricidad: un estudio internacional

El objetivo del articulo es examinar los factores que afectan a la informacion voluntaria suministrada por las organizaciones del sector electrico en sus memorias de sostenibilidad. La metodologia utilizada consiste en aplicar un modelo de regresion Tobit, para medir la influencia de las variables independientes sobre un indicador de sostenibilidad. La muestra objeto de estudio la constituyen 40 corporaciones electricas, fundamentalmente europeas y americanas, incluidas en el listado de la Global Reporting Initiative. Los resultados sugieren que; la rentabilidad, la participacion en el mercado y la evaluacion de la informacion emitida, influyen en la informacion que figura en las memorias de sostenibilidad.

Transparencia de las sociedades de garantía recíproca a través de su web corporativa: Análisis empírico del caso español

Although in Spain there is no law requiring companies to disseminate information through the Internet, except for those listed in the stock market, the provision of corporate information on line voluntarily through this new channel of communication is becoming increasingly necessary in all sectors of activity. From this perspective, this paper is a descriptive study on the diffusion of information online and also an explanatory one to establish the factors that determine the publication of financial and nonfinancial information in the reciprocal guarantee companies (RGC). To publicize this goal we will analyze the corporate website of the RGC members of the Spanish Confederation of Reciprocal Guarantee, which represent the majority of RGCs operating in the Spanish territory.