E–participation potential of citizens in local governments: A field study in Bursa city center

In this study, in general, a determination aimed at developing participatory democracy, increasing the access of the public to information and public services and presenting them for the benefit of society. In particular, it is aimed to measure the phenomenon of e-participation, which is one of the basic concepts and applications of egovernment and e-governance, at the local level. For this purpose, the effect of the eparticipation potential precursors of the citizens living in the city center of Bursa on the e-participation potential has been researched and some strategic suggestions have been made to the local administrations. In analyzing the interaction of e-information, e-consultation mechanism and edecision-making indicators with the concept of e-participation, the criteria of eparticipation are based on. This concept has been accepted in developed countries, and has led to more individualization by supporting individual participation and decision making. Participation, characterized at this level, refers to a more solution-oriented communication, with the dimension of accessibility and openness, both between the rulers and between the rulers and the ruled. This model brought a new perspective to political participation, democratic participation and traditional political behavior. Today, we see social media tools as the most innovative and effective instrument for individual participation. E-participation refers to a form of participation where social media tools are widely used. E-participation is accepted as a new concept and has taken its place on the agenda as an important model in the governance processes in developed countries. In this context this doctorate study aims to making strategic suggestions to, by measuring the potential of e-participation at local governments. Also in this study performed how and in what way e-participation affected and by researching how to contribute to the improvement of local management systems in the context of governance. In the analysis and model study, the criteria used in publications and studies accepted in the field, which are derived as an additional index for the UN EGovernment Research, which are also defined as the e-participation index (EPI) or the level of e-participation maturity (elements). These criteria are e-information provision, e-consultation and e-decision making. In the study, a synthesis was created by examining all the sources in the local and foreign literature. Literature review and statistics, have been finalized by taking opinions of academicians in numerical methods and marketing area after a qualitative research. With this questionnaire form, answers were sought for the following questions: "What is the potential of the e-participation concept for the citizen?" and "What are the effects of e-participation potential premises on e-participation?". The questions for each dimension of the questionnaire form prepared to measure the potential of e-participation were prepared as a 5-point Likert type in accordance with the literature. The universe of study includes individuals over the age of 18 in Bursa, Osmangazi, Yıldırım and Nilüfer districts. The ratios of the units (districts) to be included in the research sample were determined by cluster sampling method. In determining the sample volume for each district, the rate of the district in Bursa population was taken as equivalent to the sample rate by using the quota sampling method. SPSS and PLS-SEM programs were used to analyze the data. Analysis of research data consists of two basic parts. In the first part, the frequency analysis results of the data collected by the survey are included. In the second part, there are analysis findings related to testing the research model. According to the model results, the H1, H2 and H4 hypotheses were accepted, the H3 hypothesis was not supported. Also, it has been found that "e-information provision" affects on "e-decision making" with the coefficient of 0,516. It has been found that "providing e-consulting" affects on "e-decision making" with the coefficient of 0,354. Another hypothesis, "providing e-consultation", had no statistically significant effect on "e-participation". It has been found that "e-decision making" affects on "e-participation" with the coefficient of 0,592. The explanation ratio of "e-decision making" for "providing econsultancy" and "providing e-information" was found to be 0.715, similarly, the explanation ratio of "e-participation" for "providing e-consultancy" and "e-decision making" was found to be 0.676 when the path coefficients are examined. Based on the modeling findings obtained, strategic suggestions were made to the local governments. Key Words: E-government, E-participation, Information and Communication Technologies, Providing E-information, Providing e-Consultation Mechanism, Edecision making, Bursa, Structural Equation Modelling, PLS-SEM