The persuasive role of the past: Policy feedback and citizens' acceptance of information communication technologies during the COVID‐19 pandemic in China

How can the enforcement of policies in the past influence a society's future adoption of information communication technologies (ICTs)? In this paper, we tackle this question by exploring how past e‐governance policies influence citizens' willingness to use the health QR code, which is a COVID‐19 tracing app widely used in China's pandemic control. Past policies regarding smart‐city development in China involve two aspects: the construction of electronic infrastructure and the applications of specific technologies. Empirical analysis based on a nationwide dataset in China suggests that past policies exhibit persuasive effects and influence citizens' acceptance of the health QR code. Specifically, e‐governance applications in cities significantly enhance citizens' acceptance through the demonstration of their usefulness. However, the construction of e‐governance infrastructure per se does not have the same impact on citizens' acceptance. By connecting citizens' acceptance of new technology with past e‐governance policies, the study illustrates a nuanced policy feedback mechanism through which past policies can substantially reshape public opinion by policy outcomes.

The persuasive role of the past: Policy feedback and citizens' acceptance of information communication technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

How can the enforcement of policies in the past influence a society's future adoption of information communication technologies (ICTs)? In this paper, we tackle this question by exploring how past e-governance policies influence citizens' willingness to use the health QR code, which is a COVID-19 tracing app widely used in China's pandemic control. Past policies regarding smart-city development in China involve two aspects: the construction of electronic infrastructure and the applications of specific technologies. Empirical analysis based on a nationwide dataset in China suggests that past policies exhibit persuasive effects and influence citizens' acceptance of the health QR code. Specifically, e-governance applications in cities significantly enhance citizens' acceptance through the demonstration of their usefulness. However, the construction of e-governance infrastructure per se does not have the same impact on citizens' acceptance. By connecting citizens' acceptance of new technology with past e-governance policies, the study illustrates a nuanced policy feedback mechanism through which past policies can substantially reshape public opinion by policy outcomes.

¿Cómo puede la aplicación de políticas en el pasado influir en la futura adopción de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en una sociedad? En este documento, abordamos esta pregunta explorando cómo las políticas de gobierno electrónico anteriores influyen en la voluntad de los ciudadanos de usar el código QR de salud, que es una aplicación de rastreo de COVID­19 ampliamente utilizada en el control de la pandemia en China. Las políticas anteriores con respecto al desarrollo de ciudades inteligentes en China involucran dos aspectos: la construcción de infraestructura electrónica y las aplicaciones de tecnologías específicas. El análisis empírico basado en un conjunto de datos a nivel nacional en China sugiere que las políticas anteriores exhiben efectos persuasivos e influyen en la aceptación del código QR de salud por parte de los ciudadanos. Específicamente, las aplicaciones de gobierno electrónico en las ciudades mejoran significativamente la aceptación de los ciudadanos a través de la demostración de su utilidad. Sin embargo, la construcción de infraestructura de gobierno electrónico per se no tiene el mismo impacto en la aceptación de los ciudadanos. Al conectar la aceptación de las nuevas tecnologías por parte de los ciudadanos con las políticas anteriores de gobierno electrónico, el estudio ilustra un mecanismo matizado de retroalimentación de políticas a través del cual las políticas anteriores pueden remodelar sustancialmente la opinión pública mediante los resultados de las políticas.

Government responsiveness and public acceptance of big-data technology in urban governance: Evidence from China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to nations and cities worldwide. Governments have adopted Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to rapidly control the spread of a novel coronavirus. As an innovative but controversial ICT-based tool, health QR code plays a vital role by assisting rapid contact tracing. Yet, whether and how citizens accept this policy tool remains an unknown theoretical and empirical question. In this paper, we study the sources that determine citizens' acceptance of health QR code in city governance. Based on a nation-wide online survey covering 28 major provincial-capital cities in China, we find that individual experiences and political identities affect citizens' acceptance of QR code. Even though public opinion regarding this issue is diverse, the government's responses to citizens' requests play a critical role in enhancing their acceptance of using QR code both in the current and future stages. Specifically, as the citizens perceive a higher level of city government responsiveness, they are less worried about privacy leaks and more likely to perceive the effectiveness of health QR code in improving public health, thus resulting in a higher acceptance. The results offer broad policy implications for smart cities and urban governance.