Instrument-Based or Value-Oriented? A Q-Methodology for Local Public Officials’ Perceptions on Digital Government

While the pivotal agency of local public officials in digital government transformation has been increasingly acknowledged, their own perceptions remain underexplored. This study examines how Chinese local public officials perceive these initiatives, with particular attention to their operational consequences. Employing Q-methodology within China’s hierarchical implementation context of digital governance, we identify three perceptual archetypes: data-sharing builder, service improver, and risk perceiver. These orientations prioritize practicality over easily touching on value issues, reflecting a techno-pragmatic logic that diverges from dominant Western governance models. Interview evidence further indicates that this orientation stems less from concerns about the inherent risks of digitalization than from adaptation to accountability pressures generated by central oversight and public scrutiny. The findings highlight that this orientation is conditioned by contextual factors rather than technological features of digital government.