Does Citizen–Government Fit Matter? An Exploration in the Context of Online Civic Engagement

Despite technological development and individuals using technologies more than ever, their engagement in e-participation initiatives remains low. A close assessment indicates that simply setting up platforms for e-participation does not inevitably result in online civic engagement. Addressing this gap, this study goes beyond technological factors to consider the citizen-government fit to influence online civic engagement. Using the theoretical lens of person—organization fit, self-efficacy, and the social influence theory, this study argues that (1) the congruence between citizens and their government (i.e., C—G fit) will positively impact online civic engagement and (2) this relationship will be mediated by citizens’ commitment and moderated by e-participation-specific self-efficacy and social networking site usage. Data was collected from six interviews and 14 survey responses as the preliminary study. The data showed an initial indication in support of the research hypotheses. The research method for the final study is described, followed by the implications