The Use of Social Media in Government 2.0 Assessed Through the Public Value Lens

This paper investigates the role of social media in the creation of public value by local governments. By assessing the added value of social media through a public value lens we aim to explore more deeply how the use of social media tools impact on public value creation. We propose a conceptual framework based on the theoretical perspectives of public value concepts and public values inventories to support the examination of Gov2.0 services. An exploration of the literature indicates that the creation of public value is highly dependent on three main sources: development of public trust in government, delivery of quality public services, and the achievement of socially desirable outcomes. The framework draws together the elements of public value as determined by Moore (1995) Kelly et al., (2002), Kearns (2004), and the public values inventory by Jørgensen and Bozeman (2007).