COVID-19 and digital acceleration: An investigation about citizens’ perception of digitalized public services in Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic has helped to move online several daily activities that could hardly have been conducted in respect of social distancing: from education to free time, from recreation to contact with friends. The public sector also experienced this need and accelerated the digital transformation of public services through online tools and platforms. Through an exploratory research, this paper investigates the effects of this acceleration on the perceived utility and quality of public services in Italy. Results show that accelerating the digital transformation of public services has positive effects on citizens’ perception of the activity of the public administration. Additionally, we shed light on four pivotal topics to be considered in orienting future digitalization strategies in public settings: 1) new technologies integration and citizens’ assistance; 2) hybridization of digital services; 3) the key role of age: elderly citizens and socialization; 4) digital skills gap reduction strategies. Implications for managers and policymakers are discussed.