A Qualitative Research On the Evaluation of Corporate Feedback Practices in Municipalities as a Citizen Participation Practice

Year 2023, , 95 - 112, 14.10.2023

Miray Özden

https://doi.org/10.11611/yead.1254188

Abstract

The using of the Internet since the beginning of the 2000s has led to an increase in scientific interest in e-participation applications, which are defined as online participation. Feedback applications are areas of receiving comments from users, listening to complaints or presenting suggestions on process design regarding available services. Here, “Write to us”, “Online Chat”, “Like or Dislike Buttons” and “Comment sites” are applications designed to get feedback. It is important how these applications work and how obtained data is stored and interpreted in terms of determining the level of interaction between the municipality and the citizen.
In the study, first of all, citizen participation and e-participation, one of the participation methods, will be explained conceptually. In the study, feedback applications on the websites of 11 District Municipalities, including Tekirdağ Metropolitan Municipality, and communication lines used for feedback will be examined; interviews will be held with the administrative staff who collect and report the feedback, it will be evaluated in which aspects the feedbacks are reflected in the applications. In the study, feedback applications were tested and the work of the information processing units was observed on site, especially as a participant observer. Accessibility of feedback applications, ease of use, response times of municipalities were determined and advantageous aspects for participation were listed.

Keywords

feedback, local government, citizen participation, municipality, e-participation

References

• Al-Kodmany, K. (2000) ‘‘Public Participation: Technology and Democracy’’, Journal of Architectural Education, 53(4): 220-228.
• Barber, B. (1995) ‘‘Strong Democracy’’, M. Beşikçi (trans.) İstanbul: Ayrıntı Press.
• Berman, J. and Witzner, D. J. (1997) ‘‘Technology and Democracy’’, Social Research. 64(3): 1313-1319.
• COE (2005) ‘‘Code Of Good Practıce For Cıvıl Partıcıpatıon In The Decısıon-Makıng Process’’, Conference of INGOs, p. 9-14.
• Çukurçayır, M. A. (2012) ‘‘Political Participation and Local Democracy’’, Konya: Çizgi Press.
• Fıgueredo, J. C. (2005) ‘‘Publıc Partıcıpatıon In Transportatıon: An Emperıcal Test For Authentıc Partıcıpatıon in the Department of Public Affairs in the College of Health and Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida Orlando’’, Florida, 17-20.
• Fung, A. (2006) ‘‘Varieties of Participation in Complex Governance’’, Public Administration Review, Vol. 66, Special Issue: Collaborative Public Management, p.66-75.
• Göymen, K. (2014) ‘‘Preface’’, İ. İzci (Ed.). Participatory Local Government in., İstanbul: Sosyal Demokrasi Vakfı Press, p.11-19.
• Greer, P., Murphy, A. and Ogard, M. (2005) ‘‘Guide to Participatory Democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovine and in Serbia an Montenegro’’, Belgium: Council of Europe Publishing.
• Habermas, J. (1996) ‘‘Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy’’, Trans. William Rehg, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
• Hassan, L. (2017) “Governments should Play Games: towards A Framework for The Gamification of Civic Engagement Platforms”, Journals of Sage Pub, Volume: 48 İssue: 2: 249-267.
• Kantar, G. (2020) ‘‘ Effects of Consumption Culture on Lifestyles:Globalization, Media and Consumption Culture in TheContext of “A Bite and A Cardigan Philosophy’’, OPUS Uluslararası Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 15: 2178-2199.