Public Services and Users: Deep-Rooted Mistrust: Towards a New Model for Efficient Digital Services?

Service public et usagers, une défiance enracinée: Vers un nouveau modèle d’efficacité des services numériques ?

Rémy Park (), Philippe Mouillot () and Sophie Cros
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Rémy Park: Ascencia business school
Philippe Mouillot: UP - Université de Poitiers = University of Poitiers, CEREGE [Poitiers, La Rochelle] - Centre de recherche en gestion [UR 13564] - UP - Université de Poitiers = University of Poitiers - ULR - La Rochelle Université - Excelia Group | La Rochelle Business School
Sophie Cros: UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

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Abstract: The digital transformation of French public services, framed within the Digital Era Governance (DEG) paradigm, produces mixed effects on user satisfaction depending on the organizations concerned. Drawing on a mixed-methods analysis of 3 291 Trustpilot reviews (2018-2025) covering Ameli, CAF, France Travail, and Identité numérique La Poste, combining thematic classification, linear regressions, sentiment and semantic analysis, the authors identify four cross-cutting determinants of satisfaction: general perception of public service, telephone experience, administrative procedures, and quality of digital interfaces. The findings reveal that the effect of digitization varies across organizations, with substantial improvement for La Poste's Digital Identity, deterioration for France Travail, and relative stability for Ameli and CAF. The major theoretical contribution enriches the DEG paradigm by identifying emotional burden as a moderating variable: the more a service addresses an anxiety-inducing need (employment, social benefits), the more human contact remains central to the user experience, and the more digitization risks generating dissatisfaction. Paradoxically, difficulties encountered with digital tools lead users to multiply attempts at human contact, challenging the expected managerial efficiency of dematerialization. The authors thus propose a "contingent digital governance" approach, adapting the degree of digitization to the emotional burden of the service, and advocate for preserving human channels where they are essential to public service quality.

Date: 2026
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Published in Gestion et management public, inPress

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