Public value management in rural China through digital engagement, identity recognition and moral legitimacy.

ABSTRACT: This study investigates how public value is constructed in rural governance through the interplay of digital civic embeddedness, moral legitimacy, procedural inclusion, and eco-cultural identity salience. Drawing on Public Value Theory (PVT), Social Identity Theory (SIT), and Digital Citizenship Theory (DCT), the study develops and empirically tests a structural model using survey data from 412 rural residents in Henan Province, China. Results from PLS-SEM analysis reveal that while digital civic embeddedness does not directly enhance perceived public value, it significantly influences it through procedural inclusion and identity salience. Moral legitimacy of local officials emerges as a key antecedent, positively affecting both mediators and public value perceptions. Furthermore, trust sp

SUBMITTER: Liu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12796234 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature