Understanding Public Engagement on Government Social Media: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The study investigates the determinants of public engagement on government social media platforms in Malaysia, employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyse the relationships between key variables. The research examines the influence of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, perceived content, social influence, and facilitating conditions on public engagement, while also exploring the mediating effects of gratification. The relationship model demonstrates strong fit, supported by the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) values nearing 1, indicating a high degree of model fit. This suggests that the model accurately captures the relationships between observed variables and their underlying constructs. Additionally, the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) values fall below the recommended thresholds of 0.08, further affirming the model's adequacy in representing the complexity of the relationships among the variables. While the structural model exhibits slightly lower CFI and TLI values compared to the measurement model, indicating potential room for improvement, the RMSEA and SRMR values remain within an acceptable range. This suggests that while there may be areas for refinement, the structural model adequately represents the relationships between the variables. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers and government agencies seeking to optimize their social media communication strategies and foster greater citizen participation.