Measuring Digital Red Tape: Scale Development and Validation in Chinese Public Organizations

Digital red tape has emerged as a salient phenomenon in public organizations, but the limited availability of validated measures has constrained cumulative empirical research. To address this gap, this study develops and validates a measurement instrument for digital red tape. Building on the early conceptualization, we refine digital red tape as dysfunctional rules and regulations fostering compliance burdens through their amplification, generation, or transformation enabled by digital technologies. Drawing on the job-centered framework and empirical materials, we identify a two-factor structure comprising digital compliance burden and digital functional deficiency, and validate it through exploratory and confirmatory analyses. Although first tested in China, the framework has the potential to be generalized across diverse contexts and offers a foundation for future research and practical guidance in managing digital transformation in public organizations.