Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction

The integration of AI in public services often poses a paradox: while it can streamline operations, it may simultaneously undermine service effectiveness, ultimately shaping how both citizens and employees perceive service quality. Seeking to address gaps in our understanding of service-related fact...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Novianita Rulandari, Andri Dayarana K. Silalahi, Do Thi Thanh Phuong, Ixora Javanisa Eunike
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Political Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2025.1560180/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849728974172717056
author Novianita Rulandari
Andri Dayarana K. Silalahi
Do Thi Thanh Phuong
Ixora Javanisa Eunike
author_facet Novianita Rulandari
Andri Dayarana K. Silalahi
Do Thi Thanh Phuong
Ixora Javanisa Eunike
author_sort Novianita Rulandari
collection DOAJ
description The integration of AI in public services often poses a paradox: while it can streamline operations, it may simultaneously undermine service effectiveness, ultimately shaping how both citizens and employees perceive service quality. Seeking to address gaps in our understanding of service-related factors in AI-driven settings, this study employs fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on survey data collected in Indonesia over an 8-month period from 457 citizens and 429 employees. The results reveal six configurations underpinning employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction, alongside four configurations driving citizen satisfaction and dissatisfaction. On the employee side, satisfaction thrives when service accessibility, operational effectiveness, and resource utilization are well-coordinated, whereas dissatisfaction emerges in the presence of fragmented workflows and the lack of key enablers. From the citizen perspective, satisfaction is fueled by trust-building elements such as service accuracy, transparency, and perceived service value, whereas their absence or misalignment leads to dissatisfaction. By unraveling these pathways, this study extends public administration and AI adoption literature, offering insights into how AI-enabled services can balance organizational objectives with user-centric needs. The findings highlight the importance of harnessing AI's efficiencies without sacrificing core service qualities, ultimately guiding strategies to optimize public service outcomes.
format Article
id doaj-art-587661f22d794d37977e8fa56d8a137b
institution DOAJ
issn 2673-3145
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Political Science
spelling doaj-art-587661f22d794d37977e8fa56d8a137b2025-08-20T03:09:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Political Science2673-31452025-07-01710.3389/fpos.2025.15601801560180Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfactionNovianita Rulandari0Andri Dayarana K. Silalahi1Do Thi Thanh Phuong2Ixora Javanisa Eunike3Master Program of Public Administration, Universitas Muhammadiyah Palangkaraya, Kalimantan Tengah, IndonesiaDepartment of Marketing and Logistics Management, College of Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, TaiwanDepartment of Business Administration, College of Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, TaiwanDepartment of Business Administration, College of Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, TaiwanThe integration of AI in public services often poses a paradox: while it can streamline operations, it may simultaneously undermine service effectiveness, ultimately shaping how both citizens and employees perceive service quality. Seeking to address gaps in our understanding of service-related factors in AI-driven settings, this study employs fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on survey data collected in Indonesia over an 8-month period from 457 citizens and 429 employees. The results reveal six configurations underpinning employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction, alongside four configurations driving citizen satisfaction and dissatisfaction. On the employee side, satisfaction thrives when service accessibility, operational effectiveness, and resource utilization are well-coordinated, whereas dissatisfaction emerges in the presence of fragmented workflows and the lack of key enablers. From the citizen perspective, satisfaction is fueled by trust-building elements such as service accuracy, transparency, and perceived service value, whereas their absence or misalignment leads to dissatisfaction. By unraveling these pathways, this study extends public administration and AI adoption literature, offering insights into how AI-enabled services can balance organizational objectives with user-centric needs. The findings highlight the importance of harnessing AI's efficiencies without sacrificing core service qualities, ultimately guiding strategies to optimize public service outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2025.1560180/fullAI in public servicesefficiency vs. effectiveness paradoxservice qualitycitizen satisfactionemployee satisfactionconfigurational pathways
spellingShingle Novianita Rulandari
Andri Dayarana K. Silalahi
Do Thi Thanh Phuong
Ixora Javanisa Eunike
Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction
Frontiers in Political Science
AI in public services
efficiency vs. effectiveness paradox
service quality
citizen satisfaction
employee satisfaction
configurational pathways
title Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction
title_full Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction
title_fullStr Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction
title_full_unstemmed Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction
title_short Decoding effectiveness and efficiency in AI-enabled public services: a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction
title_sort decoding effectiveness and efficiency in ai enabled public services a configurational pathway to citizen and employee satisfaction
topic AI in public services
efficiency vs. effectiveness paradox
service quality
citizen satisfaction
employee satisfaction
configurational pathways
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2025.1560180/full
work_keys_str_mv AT novianitarulandari decodingeffectivenessandefficiencyinaienabledpublicservicesaconfigurationalpathwaytocitizenandemployeesatisfaction
AT andridayaranaksilalahi decodingeffectivenessandefficiencyinaienabledpublicservicesaconfigurationalpathwaytocitizenandemployeesatisfaction
AT dothithanhphuong decodingeffectivenessandefficiencyinaienabledpublicservicesaconfigurationalpathwaytocitizenandemployeesatisfaction
AT ixorajavanisaeunike decodingeffectivenessandefficiencyinaienabledpublicservicesaconfigurationalpathwaytocitizenandemployeesatisfaction