Digital transformation in e-government services: exploring the role of public trust, transparency, accountability and citizen satisfaction in real-time service delivery
Likitha Kodali, Prabhakar NandruPurpose
Governments around the world are initiating e-governance services to streamline administrative procedures and improve citizen satisfaction through advanced technology tools. Particularly, local governments facilitate various e-government services, including personal identification for individuals and their dependents, such as education and health certificates, transportation and revenue services. This study aims to understand the citizens’ intention to use e-governance services.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a structured questionnaire grounded in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to collect primary data from individuals who actively use e-governance platforms, such as WhatsApp-based platforms. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) are used to analyse the data.
Findings
The results obtained show that such constructs as performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, transparency, trust and accountability significantly and positively impact citizens’ satisfaction, while effort expectancy and social influence have a significant negative impact. Behavioral intention is primarily driven by citizens’ satisfaction. Transparency, on the other hand, positively affects behavioral intention directly, while accountability influences both behavioral intention and citizens’ satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications
The study offers insights that contribute to the design of a more inclusive policy framework for the efficient implementation of e-government services. The findings also highlight the behavioral influence of citizens’ intention to adopt e-governance to enhance public services. Nevertheless, building meaningful citizen engagement and openness is essential for establishing and sustaining trust in e-governance services.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge on digital transformation in e-government services in India. This study is one of the few earlier studies to examine the relationship between technological adoption and citizens’ behavior, specifically the use of WhatsApp-centred forms for local administrative services, which was explored only to a limited extent.