Digital government in Algeria: how performance and transparency shape institutional trust

Purpose This study aims to explore the mediating mechanisms linking digital public service experience to citizen trust, focusing on Algeria as a developing country. It moves beyond correlational assumptions to analyze causal pathways in digital transformation. Design/methodology/approach A two-phase design is used. An exploratory documentary analysis of the “Digital Algeria 2030” strategy contextualizes institutional drivers and ensures culturally appropriate measurement. This is followed by a quantitative survey of 152 citizens, analyzed using regression and mediation to test a model where service quality affects satisfaction (H1), and trust is built via perceived administrative performance (H2) and procedural transparency (H3), with ease of use as a conditional factor (H4). Findings Results confirm distinct utilitarian and political evaluations. While service quality predicts satisfaction, institutional trust is not a direct outcome of digitalization. Trust is primarily fostered through perceived improvements in administrative performance and procedural transparency. Ease of use only indirectly influences trust by strengthening these perceptions. Research limitations/implications As a context-specific case with a nonprobabilistic sample, the study’s generalizability is limited. However, it contributes by: empirically distinguishing pathways to satisfaction vs institutional trust; extending procedural justice and design-reality gap frameworks to digital governance; and offering a mechanism-based perspective for developing economies. For policymakers, building trust requires focusing on transparency and performance, not just technology. Originality/value This research offers a novel, mechanism-based perspective by empirically testing key mediators in an understudied context. It challenges the direct-trust hypothesis and innovatively integrates policy analysis within a causal mediation model. The findings provide actionable insights, showing that building trust requires focusing on service performance and transparency, not merely technology deployment.