E-Government Development at the Global Level: An Analysis of the Effects of ICT Access and ICT Skills

Abstract

This study examines the impact of ICT access and ICT skills on e-government development in 135 countries globally. Whilst extant studies in information systems research have examined the factors that lead to successful e-government development, these studies fail to view ICT access and skills as dual necessities such that without either, the success of e-government development can be derailed. Previous studies have also failed to consider the mediating effect of a country's political and regulatory environment on e-government development. The authors address these by relying on secondary data and partial least squares-structural equation modeling to test a model based on the technology-organization-environment framework. The results show that ICT skills positively influences e-government development, whilst ICT access and the political and regulatory environment do not. Furthermore, the political and regulatory environment was found to positively mediate the link between ICT access and e-government development. Whilst the findings make important contributions to e-government research at the global level, this research provides some implications for policy and practice.