Post-Materialist Values of Smart City Societies: International Comparison of Public Values for Good Enough Governance

• Main Authors: Seng Boon Lim, Jalaluddin Abdul Malek, Tan Yigitcanlar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Future Internet
• Subjects: smart city; smart society; good governance; good enough governance; post-materialism; post-materialist values
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/13/8/201

This study aims to analyze the application of good enough governance in considering the citizens’ value propositions that shape smart city societies. This paper applied a quantitative method with cross-country comparisons. Survey data were derived from the World Values Survey. Malaysia was chosen as the main study area, and compared with Indonesia and other countries worldwide. The findings revealed that politics is the value of least concern across all samples. In terms of qualities for children to develop, respondents in both Malaysia and Indonesia were less concerned about imagination and unselfishness. As for materialist versus post-materialist, the ratios of Malaysia and Indonesia were slightly higher than the average; the post-materialist value of free speech was the lowest value chosen. In the long term, all countries are experiencing the trend of moving toward post-materialist societies. To be sustained under the Collective and Adaptive System of smart city societies, good enough governance in Malaysia and Indonesia should consider the cultural context of the Muslim majority, prioritize governance content that allows more space for political participation and free speech, and cultivate the imagination and unselfishness of children. The generated insights underline the critical role that smart societies play in establishing smart cities.