Citation

Kee, Lai Sien (2025) Examining the drivers of government public engagement through social media in Malaysia: Mediating role of gratification. PhD thesis, Multimedia University.

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Abstract

This study investigates the multifaceted determinants of public engagement within the digital governance landscape of Malaysia. While government agencies increasingly leverage social media to foster public engagement, the mechanisms translating platform utility into active participation remain under-theorised, particularly concerning the interplay between technological acceptance and user motivations. This research addresses this gap by synthesising the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), and Social Media Engagement Theory into an integrated conceptual framework. Utilising a quantitative methodology, data were collected from 600 active users of government social media platforms in Malaysia and analysed via structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings provide robust empirical evidence of a bifurcated engagement process, where interaction is driven by a cognitive path of functional utility and an affective path mediated by psychological gratification. Gratification functions as a critical motivational bridge; specifically, technical ease of use and content quality fail to guarantee engagement unless they satisfy the users’ underlying needs for fulfilment. Furthermore, the study identifies a significant moderating effect of age on cognitive pathways, indicating that younger and older cohorts prioritise different utility outcomes, such as performance and effort expectations. Conversely, the study establishes the concept of demographic neutrality within the affective path, where gender and age do not alter the relationship between content quality and gratification. Theoretically, this study enhances the existing literature by integrating technology adoption models with communication theories, suggesting a multidimensional perspective of the citizen-state digital interface that contests conventional demographic distinctions. Practically, the results provide Malaysian policymakers with a strategic roadmap to transition from passive, one-way information dissemination to an interactive, value-based digital ecosystem that aligns with the specific psychological and functional expectations of the Malaysian electorate.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	Call No.: HM742 .K44 2025
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Social media—Political aspects—Malaysia
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > HM711-806 Groups and organizations
Divisions:	Faculty of Applied Communication (FAC)
Depositing User:	Ms Nurul Iqtiani Ahmad
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2026 05:13
Last Modified:	10 Jun 2026 05:13
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/16103

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