Open government data initiatives as agents of digital transformation in the public sector: Exploring the extent of use among early adopters

Abstract

Open government data initiatives are important agents of public sector digital transformation and understanding how agencies design, implement, and evaluate strategies for these initiatives is paramount to their ongoing success. However, a challenging and little understood aspect of open government data initiatives is precisely how open data users engage with and use these vital resources. This study examines the extent of open dataset use among early adopters using a cross-sectional analysis of web analytic behavioral data. We quantify early users' extent of use of open datasets from Health Data NY, the first state-level open health data platform. Results of a PLS-SEM analysis provide new empirical evidence that prior, or initial levels of open dataset use positively influence the later extent of open dataset use. Further, prior open government data use influences not only the later variety of open data activities, but also their depth of sophistication. Implications for practice include open data strategies to facilitate deeper, more extensive use of open dataset resources that lead to increased value creation, and ultimately, more effective digital transformation. Theoretically, this study contributes to the body of research on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by empirically testing its Use Behavior construct in light of early open data users' extent of use of open datasets, thus providing a more refined understanding of open data use behavior.