Ballots make waves: the impact of elections on social media adoption by local governments

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of elections on social media adoption by local governments. Design/methodology/approach Local elections between 2007 and 2018, all 308 Portuguese municipalities and all 43 districts of the Lima metropolitan area (the capital city of Peru) were considered in the study. The impact of elections on each country was assessed by fitting a theoretical model to the social media adoption data (collected for Facebook, YouTube and Twitter). This theoretical model includes a normal curve (as predicted by the Diffusion of Innovation Theory) and negative exponential curves centered on the inauguration dates of the newly elected governments. Findings Results are impressive and consistent for both countries: following an initial period characterized by a normal adoption curve, there are notable surges in adoption associated with the inauguration dates of newly elected administrations. In a metaphorical sense, ballots make new waves of adoption. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that researchers should take into account the influence of elections when examining how local governments adopt innovations. Practical implications The findings indicate that practitioners may find an opportunity to expedite the adoption of innovative communication technologies right after newly elected governments assume office. Additionally, election campaigns present a favorable occasion to demonstrate these innovations. Originality/value This is the first study to use non-linear optimizing techniques to explain the impact of elections on social media adoption by local governments.