ONLINE ACCOUNTABILITY: UNDERSTANDING METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITIES' WEB-BASED ACCOUNTABILITY PRACTICES

Abstract

In today’s world, accountability sits at the core of discussions revolving around the transformation of organizations in modern society. Nowadays, institutions and organizations are expected to conduct their activities transparently and fulfill their responsibilities in a more accountable framework, characterized by transparent organizational practices towards the communities and target audiences they serve. The widespread use of internet-based technologies brings significant potential for demonstrating and promoting accountability, conceptualized as a fundamental democratic ideal. In this context, municipal websites have become an essential tool that simplifies citizens’ access to information about public services and encourages their participation. The primary objective of this study is to determine the accountability levels of information published online through the Web Quality Model (WQM). In line with this aim, the websites of 30 metropolitan municipalities in Turkey have been examined. An essential aspect of this study is the calculation of the “disclosure index” value in the analysis of the data and the examination of the “confidence intervals” of the data through a “reliability analysis”. A hierarchical regression analysis was performed on the obtained data using the Jamovi v2.3.26 program. According to the analysis, only the political view or identity of the metropolitan mayor affects the web quality model index value. This study is anticipated to inspire future research and contribute to the examination, regulation, and development of public and private sector websites, enhancing accountability levels.