A Study on the Generation Mechanism of Digital Burden Perception among Grassroots Civil Servants in the Digital Transformation of Public Services

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-609-3_53How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Digital Burden Perception; Grassroots Civil Servants; Digital Transformation; Administrative Burden; Grounded Theory

Abstract

This paper explores the paradoxical nature of digital transformation in public services, in that it seemingly adds to the perceived strain of the grassroots civil servants. Inasmuch as it is hoped that digitalization will simplify the administration, loyal employees tend to face considerable psychological and functional stress. This study uses a grounded theory to examine the production process of perception of digital burden based on the three-level analytical framework of “institution-technology-individual”, through the adoption of the grounded theory approach. The results show that this burden is a multi-dimensional construct that involves operational, cognitive, emotional, and relational pressures. It is created as a result of the combined influence of institutional (pressure-driven systems and distorted assessment mechanisms), technological (technological overload and platform fragmentation), and individual (the digital literacy gap and differentiated coping strategies) factors. The results offer practical opportunities to redesign assessment systems, simplify digital platforms, and improve targeted digital capacity building by explaining the role of these three levels in shaping the grassroots experiences collectively. These points provide a theoretical contribution to the study of digital governance and practical advice on how to reduce the hidden costs of digital transformation on the frontline civil servants.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Hongxu Tao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/04
TI  - A Study on the Generation Mechanism of Digital Burden Perception among Grassroots Civil Servants in the Digital Transformation of Public Services
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 3rd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 497
EP  - 505
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-609-3_53
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-609-3_53
ID  - Tao2026
ER  -