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Cited by 565E-Government and Public ServicesPublic Policy and Administration ResearchAdministrative Law and Governance

Effects of Transparency on the Perceived Trustworthiness of a Government Organization: Evidence from an Online Experiment

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Grimmelikhuijsen, Stephan G., Meijer, Albert J.·2014·Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
DOI 10.1093/jopart/mus048
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Abstract

Although the effect of government transparency on trust is heavily debated, our theoretical and empirical understanding of this relationship is still limited. The basic assumption tested in this article is whether transparency leads to higher levels of perceived trustworthiness. This article uses theories from social psychology to advance our understanding of the effects and mechanism of the relationship between transparency and the perceived trustworthiness of a government organization. Based on these theories, we propose two alternative hypotheses: (1) the general predisposition to trust government, and (2) prior knowledge about the specific issue moderates the relationship between transparency and trust. These assumptions are tested by online experimental research, which demonstrates that these factors indeed affect the relationship between transparency and perceived trustworthiness: changes in perceived competence occur mainly in the group of citizens with high trust and little knowledge, whereas changes in perceived benevolence occur predominantly in the group of citizens with low knowledge and low trust. These findings highlight that prior knowledge and general predisposition to trust should be incorporated in our theoretical models of the relationship between transparency and perceived trustworthiness.

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84 of 84 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • An experiment using air pollution maps found transparency affected less knowledgeable and less trusting citizens but not others.

    “For instance, Grimmelikhuijsen and Meijer (2014) used air pollution maps to probe transparency and found that they did have an effect on some citizens (particularly less knowledgeable and less trusting citizens) but not on others.”

    From Latent transparency and trust in government: Unexpected findings from two survey experiments (2020) · cites this paper as Grimmelikhuijsen and Meijer (2014)

  • Transparency's effects on trust appear contingent on policy domain, prior attitudes, and presentation format.

    “Effects appear to be contingent on policy domain (de Fine Licht, 2014), prior attitudes (Grimmelikhuijsen & Meijer, 2014), and even presentation format (Porumbescu et al., 2017).”

    From Latent transparency and trust in government: Unexpected findings from two survey experiments (2020) · cites this paper as Grimmelikhuijsen & Meijer, 2014

Cites

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8 of the 92 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Freeman, 2004, An examination of factors that affect the credibility of online health information, Technical Communication, 51, 239
  2. O’Neill Onora . 2002. A question of trust: The BBC Reith lectures 2002. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.
  3. Tiemeijer Will L . 2011. Hoe Mensen Keuzes Maken: de Psychologie van het Beslissen [How people decide: Psychology of decision-making]. Amsterdam: Amsterdam Univ. Press.
  4. Zucker, 1986, Production of trust: Institutional sources of economics structures, 1840–1920, 8, 53

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Authors
Grimmelikhuijsen, S. G., & Meijer, A. J.
Affiliations
Utrecht University (NL)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2012-11-05
Volume
24
Issue
1
Pages
137-157
ISSN
  • 1053-1858 (ISSN-L)
  • 1477-9803
DOI
10.1093/jopart/mus048
OpenAlex
W2137678636
Cited by
565
References
92
Citations by year
2026: 79 · 2025: 65 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 7
FWCI
104.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › E-Government and Public Services
  • Social Sciences › Public Administration › Public Policy and Administration Research
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Administrative Law and Governance
Keywords
government transparency, perceived trustworthiness, public trust in government, perceived competence, perceived benevolence, prior knowledge, public trust, government organizations

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