Intertwining offline and online channels in multi-channel public service delivery: A case study

Abstract

While public organizations move towards electronic public service delivery, traditional channels of public service delivery continues to be leveraged for various reasons such as digital divide, privacy and security concerns as well as legislative requirements. This produces what is known as multi-channel public service delivery as public services are delivered through both offline and online channels, often resulting in an increase in the operating cost without necessarily generating equitable benefits. Further aggravating the situation, scenarios of conflicts and mutual cannibalization are known to occur in multi-channel approaches of delivering a same service. Notwithstanding, a growing understanding is being established in the marketing and information systems disciplines that synergistic outcome can be realized through the appropriate intertwining of offline and online channels in multi-channel approaches. Thus, this study attempts to expound on this 'new vision of management' in public service delivery by investigating on the research question of 'how offline and online channels can be synergistically intertwined in multi-channel public service delivery' through a case study on the Feedback Unit in Singapore. Leveraging on the illustrative lens of the intertwining concept, four findings and eight corresponding processes are found to support the establishment of synergistic outcome in the intertwining of offline and online channels for multi-channel public service delivery. These are devised into a conceptual framework. The result of this study affirms that 'complementarity and compliment rather than confrontation and abuse' among the channels is more appropriate in multi-channel public services delivery.