In search of information: Investigating source and channel choices in business-to-government service interactions

Businesses, far more frequently than citizens, need government information and services to exert their rights and duties. In optimizing their service delivery processes, governments tend to focus on a set of communication channels they offer to businesses to deliver these services. However, in reality, businesses use not only a plethora of different channels but also multiple information sources, extending beyond governments. The focus of this study is to investigate the use of information sources, communication channels and the interaction effects between these sources and channels. A quantitative survey among 1218 representatives of small and medium-sized businesses was conducted. The results show that in most cases, businesses use set combinations of channels and sources; however, driven by factors such as the exact situation, people deviate from these patterns. The results provide novel and extensive insights into how governments can improve service delivery to one of their most important client groups – businesses.