The moderating influence of perceived government information transparency on COVID-19 pandemic information adoption on social media systems

Isaac Kofi Mensah; Muhammad Khalil Khan; Juan Liang; Nan Zhu; Li-Wei Lin; Deborah Simon Mwakapesa

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1172094

The moderating influence of perceived government information transparency on COVID-19 pandemic information adoption on social media systems

Front Psychol. 2023 Jun 19:14:1172094. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1172094. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Isaac Kofi Mensah¹, Muhammad Khalil Khan², Juan Liang¹, Nan Zhu¹, Li-Wei Lin¹, Deborah Simon Mwakapesa³

Affiliations

¹ Business Administration, Fujian Jiangxia University, New University Campus, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
² Department of Journalism and Communication, School of Media and Law, NingboTech University, Ningbo, China.
³ School of Civil and Surveying Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Social media systems are instrumental in the dissemination of timely COVID-19 pandemic information to the general population and contribute to the fight against the pandemic and waves of disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses the information adoption model (IAM) as the theoretical framework to examine the moderating influence of perceived government information transparency on the adoption of COVID-19 pandemic information on social media systems from the Ghanaian perspective. Government information transparency regarding the pandemic is crucial since any lack of transparency can negatively affect the global response to the pandemic by destroying trust (in government and public health authorities/institutions), intensifying fears, and causing destructive behaviors.

Methods: It applies a convenient sampling technique to collect the responses from 516 participants by using self-administrated questionnaires. The data analysis was computed and analyzed with SPSS-22. The following statistical tests were conducted to test the hypotheses: descriptive statistics, scale reliability test, Pearson bivariate correlation, multiple linear regressions, hierarchical regression, and slope analysis.

Results: The results indicate that information quality, information credibility, and information usefulness are significant drivers of COVID-19 pandemic information adoption on social media systems. Furthermore, the perceived government information transparency positively moderates the influence of information quality, information credibility, and information usefulness on the adoption of COVID-19 pandemic information on social media systems.

Conclusion: The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings suggest the utilization of social media systems as an effective tool to support the continued fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic and its future role in national and global public health emergencies.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Ghana Africa; information adoption model (IAM); perceived government information transparency; public health; social media systems.