Abstract:

Hybrid public services increasingly operate through journeys that combine digital platforms and human interaction. Citizens may begin a process online, interact with frontline staff, and return to digital systems for follow-up. While digital transformation has improved efficiency and accessibility, institutional trust has not consistently increased, suggesting that legitimacy depends not only on technological capability but on how services are experienced. Existing research examines multichannel service design (Sousa & Voss, 2006; Lemon & Verhoef, 2016) and procedural justice in public administration (Tyler, 2000; Bryson, Crosby & Bloomberg, 2014), yet limited attention has been paid to how cross-channel transitions shape experiential engagement and legitimacy judgements.

This developmental paper introduces the construct of Hybrid Handoff Quality (HHQ), defined as citizens’ perceived coherence and accountability across digital–human service transitions. Drawing on Service-Dominant Logic (Vargo & Lusch, 2004, 2016), the paper conceptualises hybrid services as ecosystems in which value is co-created across digital and human actors. However, transitions between channels represent moments where perceived coherence may either be preserved or disrupted. To explain how these design moments influence institutional evaluation, the model integrates Flow Theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Novak, Hoffman & Duhachek, 2003) as a psychological mechanism linking cross-channel continuity to experiential engagement.

The proposed framework positions HHQ as influencing flow—characterised by absorption and perceived control—which in turn shapes emotional engagement and public-value judgements such as trust, fairness, and legitimacy (Moore, 1995; Tyler, 2000). These judgements are expected to affect participation intentions and cooperative behaviours (Osborne, Radnor & Strokosch, 2018). The model further specifies boundary conditions, including procedural fairness and contextual frictions.

By operationalising hybrid handoff quality as a measurable construct and integrating service design with public-value scholarship, the paper advances a testable framework explaining how cross-channel coherence translates into legitimacy-relevant outcomes in hybrid public-service contexts. The developmental submission seeks feedback on construct clarity, theoretical integration, and model scope prior to empirical testing.

Please choose your submission type: Developmental Paper

Primary Track: Public Management and Governance

Keywords: Governance;Public value;Public service(s)

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Prof Eva Kipnis