Examining the socio-economic determinants of adoption of the 'Government Gateway' initiative in the UK

This paper empirically examines the impact of socio-economic determinants upon the adoption of a recent UK e-government initiative, the 'Government Gateway'. The data on five socio-economic characteristics was collected employing a postal survey. The findings of this research suggest that the three variables of age, gender and occupation significantly differentiated the adopters from the non-adopters of the Government Gateway, whilst education and income were found to be non-significant. The implications of the findings are discussed in the context of promoting the adoption of emerging Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and reducing the digital divide against less privileged parts of the population

E-government adoption in Qatar: An investigation of the citizens' perspective

Electronic government (e-government) initiatives are in their early stages in many developing countries and faced with various issues pertaining to their implementation, adoption and diffusion. Like many other developing countries, the e-government initiative in the state of Qatar has faced a number of challenges since its inception in 2000. Using a survey based study this paper describes citizens‟ behavioural intention and adoption in terms of applying and utilising the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of technology (UTAUT) model to explore the adoption and diffusion of e-government services in the state of Qatar. A regression analysis was conducted to examine the influence of e-government adoption factors and the empirical data revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influences determine citizens‟ behavioural intention towards e-government. Moreover, facilitating conditions and behavioural intention were found to determine citizens‟ use of e-government services in the state of Qatar. Implications for practice and research are discussed

Factors affecting e-government adoption in the state of Qatar

Electronic government (e-government) initiatives are in their early stages in many developing countries and faced with various issues pertaining to their implementation, adoption and diffusion. Although e-government has increased transparency and improved communication and access to information for citizens, digital diffusion of information is often achieved at high cost to government agencies. Conversely, citizens’ adoption of e-government services has been less than satisfactory in most countries. While studies by researchers continue to outline the most salient adoption constructs, as well as various frameworks and models for understanding adoption, research by independent consultancy/research organisations has produced a host of statistics and league tables of good and bad practices of service delivery. Like many other developing countries, the e-government initiative in the state of Qatar has faced a number of challenges since its inception in 2000. This study utilises the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explore the adoption of e-government services in the state of Qatar. 1179 citizens were surveyed to collect primary data. A regression analysis was conducted to examine the influence of the factors adapted from the UTAUT on e-government adoption. Reliability test reported values of the various constructs vary between (0.74) and (0.91). The findings reveal that effort expectancy and social influences determine citizens’ behavioural intention towards e-government. Additionally, facilitating conditions and behavioural intention were found to determine citizens’ use of e-government services in Qatar. Implications for practice and research are discussed

Investigating the Adoption of eGovernment Services in Qatar Using the UTAUT Model

Electronic government (e-government) initiatives are in their early stages in many developing countries and faced with various issues pertaining to their implementation of e-government services. Like many other developing countries, the e-government initiative in the state of Qatar has faced a number of challenges since its inception in 2000. This study utilises the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of technology (UTAUT) model to explore the adoption and diffusion of e-government services in the state of Qatar. 1179 citizens were surveyed using the UTAUT model. The empirical data reveal that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influences determine citizens’ behavioural intention. Additionally, facilitating conditions and behavioural intention determine citizens’ use of e-government services. Implications for practice and research are discussed

E-GOVERNMENT ADOPTION IN QATAR: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CITIZENS\u27 PERSPECTIVE

Electronic government (e-government) initiatives are in their early stages in many developing countries and faced with various issues pertaining to their implementation, adoption and diffusion. Like many other developing countries, the e-government initiative in the state of Qatar has faced a number of challenges since its inception in 2000. Using a survey based study this paper describes citizens‟ behavioural intention and adoption in terms of applying and utilising the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of technology (UTAUT) model to explore the adoption and diffusion of e-government services in the state of Qatar. A regression analysis was conducted to examine the influence of e-government adoption factors and the empirical data revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influences determine citizens‟ behavioural intention towards e-government. Moreover, facilitating conditions and behavioural intention were found to determine citizens‟ use of e-government services in the state of Qatar. Implications for practice and research are discussed

The Use of Wireless Internet Parks to Facilitate Adoption and Diffusion of E-Government Services: An Empirical Study in Qatar

The Qatari government has launched Wireless Internet Parks (iPark) concept under their national electronic government (e-government) initiative with a view of providing free internet access for all citizens while enjoying the outdoors. By offering free wireless Internet access, the Qatari government hopes to increase accessibility of e-government services and encourage their citizens to actively participate in the global information society with a view of bridging the digital divide. The adoption and diffusion of iPark services will depend on user acceptance and availability of wireless technology. This paper examines an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) that proposes individual differences, technology complexity, and trust environment constructs to determine perceived usefulness and perceived ease of the iPark initiative by using a survey based study. Results of the survey showed that among other constructs Wireless Internet trust and technology complexity has a significant affect on perceived usefulness of iPark services

Factors affecting e-Government implementation and adoption in the State of Qatar

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Electronic government (e-government) has established as an effective mechanism for increasing government productivity and efficiency and a key enabler of citizen-centric services. However, e-government implementation is surrounded by organisational, technological, political and social issues, which have to be considered and treated carefully in order to facilitate this change. Conversely, from an adoption perspective, e-government services are yet to be universally accepted as a medium for accessing online public services since its inception more than a decade ago. In terms of prior research into understanding the implementation challenges and adoption factors, most existing literature focus into either the implementation context or adoption context separately and no research studies were found that take a holistic viewpoint of both implementation and adoption. Furthermore, only a few researchers have explored and reflected on the important factors that can impact e-government implementation using well founded theoretical models or frameworks. Besides, there is no universal model for e-government implementation and adoption that is applicable for all countries to ensure success, especially for developing and Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC). Therefore, this thesis attempts to explore and investigate the key challenges that influence e-government implementation and the factors influencing citizen adoption in the state of Qatar. By simultaneously analysing and aligning the implementation issues of e-government with the adoption aspects, this study aimed to develop a better understanding of the gaps that exists between implementation and adoption. Through combining the implementation and adoption aspects of e-government, this thesis proposes a unified conceptual model which could be used as a frame of reference by government institutions that seek to implement and diffuse e-government systems in Qatar. To do so, the research draws from two well established theoretical models, Institutional Theory (for understanding implementation) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model (for understanding adoption). The research adopted a multi-method approach [combining qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods] to explore practices and experiences of implementing and adopting e-government systems in the State of Qatar

Modelling use continuance in virtual worlds: The case of second life

Electronic government (e-government) has shown encouraging results in developed countries in the context of delivering electronic information and services to citizens. However, despite the many lessons that can be learned from the experiences of those egovernment initiatives, developing countries are still faced with various issues pertaining to their implementation of e-government services. Like many other developing countries, the e-government initiative in the state of Qatar has faced a number of challenges since its inception in 2000. Using a survey based study this paper describes citizens’ behavioural intention in terms of applying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of technology (UTAUT) model to explore the adoption and diffusion of e-government services in the state of Qatar. Analysis of the results indicates that there is significant positive relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and behavioural intention to use e-government services for the citizens of Qatar. Implications for practice and research are discussed

An Assessment of the Role of Government Agencies in Public-Private Partnerships in Housing Delivery in Nigeria

Nigeria faces a tremendous shortfall in housing provisions, especially in its urban areas. Consequently, Public-Private Partnership in housing provisions has been adopted as a means of addressing this problem. Several previous studies have focused on the role of government agencies in the governmentprovider approach to housing, but adequate attention has not been given to the role of government agencies in Public-Private Partnerships in housing. This paper attempts to fill this gap in literature by examining the role of government agencies in Public-Private Partnerships in housing. A study of thirteen government agencies in six selected Nigerian cities was undertaken. The findings indicate that though the agencies tended to focus on the provision of access to land and the regulatory framework for housing development, the majority of Nigerians have not benefited from this arrangement. The paper recommends that government agencies should also be involved in providing basic amenities and subsidies to ensure that Public-Private Partnership housing serves the interest of most Nigerians

Global Diffusion of the Internet XIII: Internet Diffusion in Kenya and Its Determinants -- A Longitudinal Analysis

This paper assesses Internet diffusion and its determinants in Kenya using the Global Diffusion of the Internet (GDI) framework. Kenya was selected due to its strategic importance for the economic progress of the great lakes region of Africa. An understanding of Internet diffusion in Kenya provides preliminary insight into how the process might unfold in Eastern Africa. The analysis shows that in 2008, less than 10 percent of the population accessed the Internet, with a majority of users clustered around two major urban centers. There is an indication that across the sectors of education, commerce, health, and public service, the Internet is being embraced, with potential for further diffusion. The underlying national Internet connectivity infrastructure is well established, but skewed in favor of urban centers that have high levels of electricity penetration. Vibrant competition exists between Internet service providers despite a persistent monopoly in national fixed line telecommunications provision. A few sophisticated applications of the Internet were found in several sectors. A snap shot of the state of Internet diffusion in Kenya reflects, on average, good performance on the various dimensions of the GDI framework. However, this overall picture masks the reality that the majority of the population, mostly in rural areas, lack access to basic amenities such as electricity, and hence infrastructure to support the Internet. The trajectory along which the Internet is diffusing has therefore led to the exclusion of this majority. The critical role that governments in developing countries play needs to be brought to the fore in order to ensure that the Internet diffusion trajectory is not left entirely to the commercial sector. The government’s ability to marshal resources, execute telecommunications regulation, as well as enable change remains pivotal to ensuring inclusive Internet diffusion