Government digitalization and its influence on government functions transformation adopting a Structural Functionalism perspective: Evidence from county-level governments in China

A proactive and innovative approach to government digital reform is necessary to ad-dress potential explanations for the sustained influence of government digitalization, thereby optimizing the behavior and performance of government functions transformation. This study constructs a theoretical framework for understanding the driving mechanisms of government digitalization on government functions transformation from a Structural Functionalism perspective. Based on subdividing government digitalization into four dimensions and government functions transformation into two dimensions, a survey questionnaire with high validity and reliability was compiled and distributed. Utilizing Structural Equation Model, the study investigated the driving mechanisms of government digitalization on government functions transformation and their spatial variations as follows: (1) Digitalization Planning underscores its decisive role in local government functions transformation. (2) Digitalization Technology has a substantial direct impact on Digitalization Platform. (3) Digitalization Policy directly affects Digitalization Platform, behavior, and performance of government functions transformation. (4) Digitalization Platform exerts the most direct impact on government functions transformation. Additionally, the driving mechanisms of government digitalization on government functions transformation exhibit both commonalities and differences across the East, Center, and West of China.