Watching participatory budgeting events or attending them produce different distributive outcomes
ISSN: 1468-4527
Article publication date: 17 June 2021
Issue publication date: 9 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The study examines the impact of presence, synchronicity of exposure and other variables on allocative decisions reached following a participatory budgeting event.
Design/methodology/approach
The study analyzes the distributive decisions reached following a participatory budgeting event, which took place in an academic institution, and students were asked to determine the distribution of a portion of the student union budget. Some students viewed the event live (physically or remotely), while others watched it in delay.
Findings
The main variable affecting allocative decisions was whether decision-makers were exposed to the event physically or remotely. There was a significant and large difference between allocation decisions of participants who were physically present at the event and those who were exposed to it remotely.
Practical implications
The discussion elaborates on the implications of the findings for the importance of presence and media selection in public engagement events.
Originality/value
Public engagement events are becoming widespread, with the Internet being a major tool in their administration. This study demonstrates that using the Internet to make such events accessible to the non-physically present can create significant changes in decisions reached by participants.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author thanks Yair Tsadok, Shirat Shahar, Inbal Lacks-Freund, and Arava Rotman for their assistance.
Citation
Lev-On, A. (2022), "Watching participatory budgeting events or attending them produce different distributive outcomes", Online Information Review, Vol. 46 No. 2, pp. 244-255. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-01-2020-0033
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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