Beyond The Press Release: Unpacking The Lived Experience Of Transparency And Trust In A Public Utility (Electricity Company Of Ghana)

Abstract

Public trust is an important intangible asset for public utility companies, particularly the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), yet there is a considerable lack in the qualitative research into how opposing stakeholder groups in developing countries perceive transparency. This qualitative single-case study bridges this gap through a dual-perspective investigation of how customers’ and employees lived experiences shape their perceptions of trust and transparency. Employing an interpretivist paradigm, primary data was collected via four focus group discussions with customers and seven in-depth interviews with ECG employees, analyzed through comparative thematic analysis and interpreted using Social Exchange Theory and Organizational Justice Theory. The findings reveal a profound “perception gap.”: customers reported deep distrust driven by opaque billing practices and reactive communication (procedural injustice), while employees describe operational constraints and unreciprocated efforts amid public hostility. The study concludes that, in the case of a public utility monopoly, a negative cost-benefit analysis results in coercive dependency rather than relationship termination, leading to ingrained skepticism. This study contends that trust is not developed through daily contacts, and that fair charging (distributive justice), respect in service (interactional justice), and clarity in communication are identified as the core currency of legitimacy for ECG.