Assessing citizen satisfaction of urban local government service and infrastructure in Bangladesh: A case study of Pabna municipality
Vol 8, Issue 3, 2023, Article identifier:
VIEWS - 655 (Abstract) 363 (PDF)
Abstract
The provision of essential services to residents heavily relies on the infrastructure and functioning of urban local government institutions. The satisfaction citizens have with these institutions is an important indicator of the effectiveness of governance mechanisms. This study aims to assess the degree of citizen satisfaction with urban local government services and infrastructure, specifically in the context of Pabna municipality in Bangladesh. A qualitative and quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing survey data from 120 structured questionnaires and 20 interviews. The study results show that a significant proportion of municipality residents (56%) express deep dissatisfaction with basic services and infrastructure performance. The municipality has failed to effectively deliver sanitation, disaster management, waste management, roads and bridges, traffic infrastructure, and public utilities services as required. The study also identified key challenges in delivering basic services, including poor infrastructure, a lack of initiatives, adequate resources, a large workforce, and sufficient equipment. The findings suggest that the municipality should prioritize sustainable city planning through democratic participation and consideration of residents’ perceived experiences to deliver a high degree of citizen satisfaction.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
1. Yi Y. A critical review of consumer satisfaction. Review of Marketing 1990; 4(1): 68–123.
2. Bilton T, Bonnett K, Jones P, et al. Introductory sociology, 4th ed. Palgrave Macmillan; 2002. p. 532.
3. Chatterjee R, Suy R. An overview of citizen satisfaction with public service: Based on the model of expectancy disconfirmation. Open Journal of Social Sciences 2019; 7(4): 243–258. doi: 10.4236/jss.2019.74019
4. Van de Walle S. Explaining citizen satisfaction and dissatisfaction with public services. In: Ongaro E, Van Thiel S (editors). The Palgrave Handbook of Public Administration and Management in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan; 2018. pp. 227–241.
5. Mokhlis S, Aleesa Y, Mamat I. Municipal service quality and citizen satisfaction in southern Thailand. Journal of Public Administration and Governance 2011; 1(1): 122–137. doi: 10.5296/jpag.v1i1.717
6. Panday PK, Panday PK. The development of the urban government system in Bangladesh: Does coordination exist? Local Government Studies 2008; 34(5): 559–575. doi: 10.1080/03003930802413731
7. Naeef E. Evaluation of urban local government in Bangladesh: A review. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/28017841/Evaluation_of_Urban_Local_Government_in_Bangladesh_A_review (accessed on 3 August 2023).
8. Panday PK. A brief history of urban governance in Bangladesh. In: Reforming Urban Governance in Bangladesh: The City Corporation. Springer International Publishing; 2017. pp. 13–21.
9. Islam N. Urban governance in Bangladesh: The post-independence scenario. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.) 2013; 58(2): 289–301.
10. Afroj S, Hanif F, Hossain MB, et al. Assessing the municipal service quality of residential neighborhoods based on SERVQUAL, AHP and Citizen’s Score Card: A case study of Dhaka North City Corporation area, Bangladesh. Journal of Urban Management 2021; 10(3): 179–191. doi: 10.1016/j.jum.2021.03.001
11. Akther MS, Islam I, Hasan MMU. Evaluation of municipal services in selected wards of Dhaka City Corporation: Citizen’s perspective. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management 2009; 4(1S): 133–145.
12. Bhuiyan MAF, Islam MA. Assessment of service quality of urban local government in Bangladesh. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management 2023; 18(1): 85–105.
13. Mahanta A, Borgohain P. Urban livability and contextual uncertainties: An assessment of livability through the lens of urban dwellers in Guwahati, India. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development 2022; 6(1): 1395. doi: 10.24294/jipd.v6i1.1395
14. Salim M, Peng X, Almaktary S, Karmoshi S. The impact of citizen satisfaction with government performance on public trust in the government: Empirical evidence from urban Yemen. Open Journal of Business and Management 2017; 5(2): 348–365. doi: 10.4236/ojbm.2017.52030
15. Wisniewski M. Assessing customer satisfaction with local authority services using SERVQUAL. Total Quality Management 2001; 12(7–8): 995–1002. doi: 10.1080/09544120100000026
16. Van Ryzin GG, Muzzio D, Immerwahr S, et al. Drivers and consequences of citizen satisfaction: An application of the American customer satisfaction index model to New York City. Public Administration Review 2004; 64(3): 331–341. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00377.x
17. Bogoro P, Maimako SS, Kurfi AK. Assessing the role of infrastructure on customer satisfaction with national parks in North East Nigeria. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research 2013; 4(10): 826–843.
18. Longe EO, Longe OO, Ukpebor EF. People’s perception on household solid waste management in Ojo local government area in Nigeria. Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science & Engineering 2009; 6(3): 201–208.
19. Van Ryzin GG. Pieces of a puzzle: Linking government performance, citizen satisfaction, and trust. Public Performance & Management Review 2007; 30(4): 521–535. doi: 10.2753/PMR1530-9576300403
20. Morgeson FV, Petrescu C. Do they all perform alike? An examination of perceived performance, citizen satisfaction and trust with US federal agencies. International Review of Administrative Sciences 2011; 77(3): 451–479. doi: 10.1177/0020852311407278
21. Ali M, Asmi F, Rahman MM, et al. Evaluation of E-service quality through customer satisfaction (a case study of FBR E-taxation). Open Journal of Social Sciences 2017; 5(9): 175–195. doi: 10.4236/jss.2017.59013
22. Chen L, Zhang J, You Y. Air pollution, environmental perceptions, and citizen satisfaction: A mediation analysis. Environmental Research 2020; 184. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109287
23. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Statistics and Informatics Division (Sid) ministry of planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Parishankhan Bhaban (Bengali). Available online: www.bbs.gov.bd (accessed on 3 August 2023).
24. Alonso F, Faus M, Cendales B, Useche SA. Citizens’ perceptions in relation to transport systems and infrastructures: A nationwide study in the Dominican Republic. Infrastructures 2021; 6(11): 153. doi: 10.3390/infrastructures6110153
25. Okpa JT, Ikpeme BB, Wilson NU, et al. Socio-demographic factors affecting access to and utilization of social welfare services in Nigeria. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development 2022; 6(2): 1448. doi: 10.24294/jipd.v6i2.1448
26. Sözen E, Guven U. The effect of online assessments on students’ attitudes towards undergraduate-level geography courses. International Education Studies 2019; 12(10): 1–8. doi: 10.5539/ies.v12n10p1
27. Fahim AU, Rahman MM, Abir FA, Bhuiyan AF. An investigation of users’ perception on non-motorized transport services in a municipality area: A cross-sectional study on Pabna municipality. Case Studies on Transport Policy 2022; 10(1): 657–663. doi: 10.1016/j.cstp.2022.01.026
28. Singh AS, Masuku MB. Sampling techniques & determination of sample size in applied statistics research: An overview. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management 2014; 2(11): 1–22.
29. DeVellis RF, Thorpe CT. Scale Development: Theory and Applications. Sage Publications; 2021.
30. Oliveira M, Bitencourt CC, dos Santos ACMZ, Teixeira EK. Thematic content analysis: Is there a difference between the support provided by the MAXQDA® and NVivo® software packages? Revista de Administração da UFSM 2015; 9(1): 72–82. doi: 10.5902/1983465911213
31. Islam A, Hossain S, Islam T, Iqbal SA. Municipal solid waste management in Sylhet City, Bangladesh. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Solid Waste Management in South Asian Countries; 25–27 February 2017; Khulna, Bangladesh.
32. Zurbrugg C. Urban solid waste management in low-income countries of Asia how to cope with the garbage crisis. In: Proceedings of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) Urban Solid Waste Management Review Session; November 2002; Durban, South Africa.
33. Alam MS, Mondal M. Assessment of sanitation service quality in urban slums of Khulna city based on SERVQUAL and AHP model: A case study of railway slum, Khulna, Bangladesh. Journal of Urban Management 2019; 8(1): 20–27. doi: 10.1016/j.jum.2018.08.002
34. Yigitcanlar T, Kamruzzaman M. Does smart city policy lead to sustainability of cities? Land Use Policy 2018; 73: 49–58. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.01.034
35. Shkvarya LV, Semenov AS. Smart cities: Necessity and development strategies. Information and Innovations 2020; 15(2): 52–58. doi: 10.31432/1994-2443-2020-15-2-52-58
36. Rölle D. What makes citizens satisfied? The influence of perceived responsiveness of local administration on satisfaction with public administration. Journal of Social and Administrative Sciences 2017; 4(1): 1–13. doi: 10.1453/jsas.v4i1.1219
37. Vigoda E. Are you being served? The responsiveness of public administration to citizens’ demands: An empirical examination in Israel. Public Administration 2000; 78(1): 165–191. doi: 10.1111/1467-9299.00198
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54517/esp.v8i3.1671
(655 Abstract Views, 363 PDF Downloads)
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2023 Md. Al-Fahad Bhuiyan, Md. Ashraful Islam
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/