89,393 research outputs found
Benchmark Indicators for African National Telecom Regulary Authority Websites
BookThe concept of governance in recent years has evolvedwith the
introduction of information and communication technologies
(ICT). Governments can now provide services without the
need for the traditional face-to-face interaction.This undoubtedly
represents a marked change; more so, for African countries
whose governance measures are increasingly measured
by their ability to reduce bureaucracy levels through the use of
e-governance.1 In this model, a government is expected to
incorporate three types of interactions namely: governmentto-
government (G2G), government-to-business (G2B) and
government-to-citizen (G2C).
It is not surprising therefore that e-government has become
an important theme and benchmark for the assessment of
development via the ability to facilitate government services
through ICT initiatives such as web portals. As most African
national regulatory authorities (NRAs) already have a website
or are in the process of establishing one, it is clear that this is
viewed as an important or necessary activity. A website provides
a fundamental window to realise the true spirit of egovernment.
A properly built website provides citizens and
other stakeholders with one of the best interfaces to the regulatory
agency. It allows for self-service around the clock and
reduces long queues and time as is evident in many African
government agencies. In addition, international and local businesses
can search for and even apply for certain facilities online
without having to make a physical journey to the government
agency. A website thus becomes a virtual representation of the
entire organization in cyberspace (Wattegama 2007).
As Mahan (2005) correctly observes, the importance of a
national telecom regulatory authority website can never be
underestimated. A NRA is one of the key government agencies
in any country. It is the apex body that is largely responsible for
the healthy growth of the telecom sector and the diffusion of
telecom services to the public at all levels. It serves a large
group of stakeholders varying from citizens and consumers to
incumbent operators and prospective investors. Regulators set
standards for transparency and accountability and thus, a
well-designed and informative website will also demonstrate
the extent and facility with which the NRA uses the technologies
and services it regulates. A well-maintained website
increases confidence in the regulator’s skills and capabilities
and thus provides a window upon which to evaluate the level
of e-governance within a country.
While there exists a plethora of e-government initiatives
taking place within African governments, supported by international
agencies, actual analysis of the type of services provided
using e-based technologies has received little attention
or speculation as to what constitutes effective components.
Focusing on African telecomregulatory authorities, this survey
follows from a similar study carried out during March-April
2004 (Mahan 2005)which focused on 22 AfricanNRAwebsites.
Unlike the previous study however, this study evaluates a total
of 30 countries out of 54 countries in Africa. The increase in
number no doubts marks an increase over the past four years
in the use of websites as a tool in regulation
The e-Municipality in South Africa as a Panacea for Adopting and Implementing Sustainable Online Services: A Case of the City of Tshwane: E-Municipality
Since municipalist praxis has proliferated, so too have the use of e-Municipality with multiple political motives and municipalist monikers springing up across public administration. All this typological creativity in digital governance suggests a new and pre-paradigmatic way of empirical inquiry aimed at improving service delivery and enhancing good governance through means of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). However, there seem to an ongoing problematic issue signifying a misconception jostling for academic attention in providing an understanding of e-Municipality within the context of political settings particularly in South African municipalities. This is necessary in clarifying the confusion and obscuring of what’s at stake in relation to service delivery within municipalities. This study used the adoption and implementation model for e-Municipality and Public Value theory to position e-Municipality services. Methodologically, the study adopted the qualitative research approach with the aid of secondary data gathered from scholarly journal articles, books, trusted websites, municipal database, government legislations and peer-reviewed articles. With the City of Tshwane adopted as a case study, the researcher analysed data using the online content analysis techniques to present e-Municipality results. The findings reveals that, the e-Tshwane system’s failure to automatically update or reflect changes made by customers in relation to home addresses and payments made to municipal account often result into a large number of disgruntled customers. To address this issue, this study recommends that the City of Tshwane must find alternative online mechanism to identity system faults to reduce the number of disgruntled customers. This study offers policy-makers in government some insights in relation to the adoption and implementation of sustainable online services by addressing issues aimed at improving online mechanisms to eliminate physical contact at municipal offices in order to access services.
 
California Voter Consumption of Media on Government and Politics
The results of our recent survey of California voters shows that they maintain a robust interest in getting the information they need to make decisions about elections and public policy issues. The data show an electorate that remains an avid consumer of news about government and politics -- and is largely satisfied with the news it receives. Californians say that the news sources they use most often cover the issues that matter to them the most; are fair; are comprehensive; and reflect their views. And in the face of declining use of print media, the survey shows that voters in California are adopting digital media at a rapid pace -- with voters who use digital news saying that it is easier than ever to get news about government and politics at the state level. In addition, the survey paints a more detailed picture of the news habits of voters of color in California than has previously been obtained. Though California's communities of color largely use the same sources of news about government as do white voters -- primarily television and mainstream media journalism -- there are substantial subgroups that also get some of their news from ethnic media outlets. The emergence of younger voters of color as frequent digital media users indicates further potential for change in how news will be delivered to these constituencies. And even though California's voters of color express high levels of satisfaction in the news they consume, many have mixed feelings on whether their own community's views are well-represented in the media at large. In particular, African American and non-Chinese Asian American/Pacific Islander voters are the most likely to say that the views of their respective ethnic groups are not well represented in the media. The data also show that interest in news about government and politics and greater civic involvement go hand-in-hand; a majority of California voters reports active engagement in some facet of their community's civic life, with engagement concentrated among the most avid consumers of the news. While it is not surprising that these civically-engaged voters are also more likely follow the news, the survey also makes clear that voters see the news media they use as facilitating their participation. More than two-thirds of California voters report that the news source they use most often informs them about ways they can get involved
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e-Government awareness among the techno-disadvantaged in the United States
This exploratory research focuses on awareness among techno-disadvantaged citizens in the United States. Specifically, we address whether awareness is associated with visitation and whether there are differences between those who are aware and those who are not aware. Following up on on a theory-based community initiative designed to improve computer literacy and access to information and communication technologies (ICT) for members of an underserved public housing community, a survey was undertaken. The results indicate that awareness is associated with visitation. Differences in demographic characterisitics, perceived ease of use (PEOU), and perceived access barriers between those who are aware of e-government websites, and those who are not, were found. While nearly half of the respondents are neither aware of nor have visited e-government websites, a slight majority is partaking of e-government services. We identify directions for future research and conclude by emphasizing the value of a theory-based community initiative to improve computer literacy, provide access to ICT, and advance e-government inclusion
Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits From Internet Access at U.S. Libraries
Examines the use of free computer and Internet access in public libraries, by income level, age, race/ethnicity, and online activity. Explores libraries' role as a community resource for social media, education, employment, e-government, and other areas
E-government adoption: A cultural comparison
This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008.E-government diffusion is an international phenomenon. This study compares e-government adoption in the U.K. to adoption in the U.S. In particular, this study seeks to determine if the same factors are salient in both countries. Several studies have explored citizen acceptance of e-government services in the U.S. However, few studies have explored this phenomenon in the U.K. To identify the similarities and differences between the U.K. and the U.S. a survey is conducted in the U.K. and the findings are compared to the literature that investigates diffusion in the U.S. This study proposes a model of e-government adoption in the U.K. based on salient factors in the U.S. A survey is administered to 260 citizens in London to assess the importance of relative advantage, trust and the digital divide on intention to use e-government. The results of binary logistic regression indicate that there are cultural differences in e-government adoption in the U.K. and the U.S. The results indicate that of the prevailing adoption constructs, relative advantage and trust are pertinent in both the U.S. and the U.K., while ICT adoption barriers such as access and skill may vary by culture. Implications for research and practice are discussed
The Latino Age Wave: What Changing Ethnic Demographics Mean for the Future of Aging in the U.S.
Highlights data on aging Latinos/Hispanics, trends in the assets and needs of community-based organizations serving or that could serve older Latinos, and strategies for addressing gaps in supportive policies. Outlines best practices and recommendations
Social Media Networks and the Discourse of Resistance: A sociolinguistic CDA of Biafra Online Discourses
This study focuses on how Social Media Networks (SMN) have been used in recent times to champion social protests and resistance against oppression and political power abuse. Hence, ‘discourse of resistance’ takes a cue from the current waves of resistance and political revolutions
in North Africa and the Arab world, which have been largely attributed to the vibrant SMN. In Nigeria, SMN have been used to mobilize support and active participation in popular efforts to achieve socio-political reforms. The corpus comprises mainly blogs and discussion forums hosted
by the Biafra Online Campaign Groups (BOCG). The BOCG consist of persons and groups of the Igbo ethnic group of Nigeria, living in and outside of the country, that advocate a separate nation for the Igbos and accuse the government of Nigeria of marginalizing them. The study applies a sociolinguistic-based Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to investigate how sociolinguistic issues such as virtual community, identity, language variations and social interaction are used to project self-determination and the struggle for political independence. It further examines how ideology is reflected in this context via the discourses produced by BOCG in relation to the Nigerian state
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