Information privacy in e-service: Effect of organizational privacy assurances on individual privacy concerns,perceptions, trust and self-disclosure behavior

The increasing use of the Internet for service delivery has paralleled an increase of e-service users' privacy concerns as technology offers ample opportunities for organizations to store, process, and exploit personal data. This may reduce individuals' perceived ability to control their personal information and increase their perceived privacy risk. A systematic understanding of individuals' privacy concerns is important as negative user perceptions are a challenge to service providers' reputation and may hamper service delivery processes as they influence users' trust and willingness to disclose personal information. This study develops and validates a model that examines the effect of organizational privacy assurances on individual privacy concerns, privacy control and risk perceptions, trust beliefs and non-self-disclosure behavior. Drawing on a survey to 547 users of different types of e-services – e-government, e-commerce and social networking – in Rwanda, and working within the framework of exploratory analysis, this study uses partial least square-structural equation modeling to validate the overall model and the proposed hypotheses. The findings show that perceptions of privacy risks and privacy control are antecedents of e-service users' privacy concerns, trust and non-self-disclosure behavior. They further show that the perceived effectiveness of privacy policy and perceived effectiveness of self-regulations influence both perceptions of privacy risks and control and their consequences; users' privacy concerns, trust and non-self-disclosure behavior. The hypotheses are supported differently across the three types of e-services, which means that privacy is specific to context and situation. The study shows that the effect of privacy assurances on trust is different in e-government services than in other services which suggest that trust in e-government may be more complex and different in nature than in other contexts. The findings serve to enhance a theoretical understanding of organizational privacy assurances and individual privacy concerns, trust and self-disclosure behavior. They also have implications for e-service providers and users as well as for regulatory bodies and e-services designers.     

Building Citizen Trust Through E-government

The trust of citizens in their governments has gradually eroded. One response by several North American governments has been to introduce e-government or Web-mediated citizen-to-government interaction. This paper tests the extent to which online initiatives have succeeded in increasing trust and external political efficacy in voters. An Internet-based survey of 182 Canadian voters shows that using the Internet to transact with the government had a significantly positive impact on trust and external political efficacy. Interestingly, though the quality of the interaction was important, it was secondary to internal political efficacy in determining trust levels, and not significant in determining levels of external political efficacy (or perceived government responsiveness). For policymakers, this suggests e-government efforts might be better aimed at citizens with high pre-extant levels of trust rather than in developing better Web sites. For researchers, this paper introduces political efficacy as an important determinant of trust as it pertains to e-government.     

Determining the type of e-government use

This article aims to understand what determines the degree of e-government use for multiple purposes by analyzing the Government Online Survey data that the Pew Internet and American Life Project provide. Three main purposes of e-government use are identified as: service use, information use, and policy research. The degree of e-government use for a specific purpose is predicted by five sets of determinants: psychological factors of technology adoption, civic mindedness, information channels, trust in government, and socio-demographic and personal characteristics. Sociodemographic conditions influence usage level of various transactional services provided by e-government. Perceived ease of use facilitates the acquisition of general information through e-government. Civicness is a critical determinant of e-government use for policy research. Policy researchers who are more engaged with and concerned about society, neighbors, and government are emerging as a new class of e-government users.     

Channel choice and public service delivery in Canada: Comparing e-government to traditional service delivery

This study examines channel choice and public service delivery in Canada, comparing e-government to traditional service delivery channels such as the phone or visiting a government office. Factors studied include the digital divide, the nature of the citizen interaction with government, public service values, and satisfaction with services received by citizens. These factors are used to determine whether they impacted choice of channel and satisfaction with that channel. This study, through logistic regression of a public opinion survey of Canadian residents, found indications suggesting a digital divide in accessing e-government; found that government websites were most commonly used for information purposes, while the phone was most commonly used to solve problems. In regards to citizens' satisfaction, the apparent digital divide was bridged when females and older Canadians were more satisfied with their contact with a government website. In addition, a positive experience with service delivery and positive public service values lead to greater website satisfaction. The results of this study imply that the phone is a more effective service channel for solving problems, and the website is more effective for getting information. Therefore, governments need to provide multiple contact channels for citizens, depending upon their task at hand, while ensuring consistency of information and service response across channels. Creating a positive experience for citizens when they received a service translates into a more satisfied experience with e-government.     

政府电子信息服务质量与公众持续使用意愿关系实证研究

[目的/意义]政府电子信息服务在互联网时代下成为替代传统政府服务的新兴电子服务方式受到国际推崇。研究政府电子信息服务的公众持续使用意愿对加强政府电子服务建设和改进尤为重要。[方法/过程]借鉴TAM、ECM-ISC、D&M模型,以公众体验为导向,构建政府电子信息服务质量与公众持续使用意愿关系模型,以政府网站为研究对象进行问卷调查,利用结构方程进行数据分析。[结果/结论]结果表明,信息质量显著影响公众满意度,满意度是公众持续使用政府电子信息服务的最显著影响因子;信息质量、信息互动体验质量及感知信任均对持续使用意愿产生正向影响。     

Are Mauritians ready for e-Government services?

Mauritius, a country that represents one of the leading advocates of e-Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa, has taken significant action to improve e-readiness dimensions and as such ranks high in terms of e-readiness index with respect to other Sub-Saharan African countries, based on the United Nations Global e-Government Readiness index. A close look at the usage rate of e-Government services such as online application, however, reveals that it is very low while online transaction is still rhetoric. This paper therefore assesses whether the high e-readiness index gives a true indication of the citizens' e-readiness using available secondary data sources. It further explores the factors facilitating and inhibiting citizens' e-readiness through the administration of a survey questionnaire. The main findings reveal that the barriers inhibiting citizens' e-readiness are resistance to change, absence of opportunities for e-participation and e-consultation, and lack of awareness. The main facilitators of citizens' e-readiness emanating from the analysis are awareness campaigns which tease out the advantages of online public services compared to traditional methods of service delivery, building of trust in government, and managing change.     

Social media effects on fostering online civic engagement and building citizen trust and trust in institutions

This paper tests the extent to which social media is shaping civic engagement initiatives to build trust among people and increase trust in their institutions, particularly the government, police and justice systems. A survey of 502 citizens showed that using social media for civic engagement has a significant positive impact on trust propensity and that this trust had led to an increase in trust towards institutions. Interestingly, while group incentives encouraged citizens to engage online for civic matters, it is civic publications through postings on social media that intensify the urge of citizens for civic action to address social issues. Post-hoc analysis via ten interviews with social activists was conducted to further examine their perceptions on trust towards institutions. The overall findings suggest that institutions, in their effort to promote a meaningful and trusting citizen engagement, need to enhance trust among the public by fostering social capital via online civic engagement and closing the public–police disengagement gap.     

The roles of privacy concerns and trust in voluntary use of governmental proximity tracing applications

A growing aspect of e-government is healthcare-related. Although preventative e-health services provided by governments like proximity tracing applications (PTAs) can bring important benefits, their adoption is lagging behind expectations. Researchers and policymakers need a better understanding of the factors that influence their adoption. The paper draws from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model and extends it by including privacy concerns as an explanatory factor regarding the intention to use PTAs. The study empirically evaluates the impact of privacy concerns together with two of its antecedents – trust in government and trust in technology – on the intention to use a PTA. Data from 762 adult respondents from Slovenia and Germany were collected and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The main findings are: (1) even in the unique context of a PTA the universal predictors of UTAUT have a significant impact; (2) privacy concerns have a direct impact on intention to use; and (3) trust in government and trust in technology both have a significant impact on privacy concerns. The theoretical implications are important for technology adoption research on e-health services provided by the government generally and PTAs in particular.     

The role of trust in e-Government effectiveness,operational effectiveness and user satisfaction: Lessons from Saudi Arabia in e-G2B

Electronic government (e-Government) systems are becoming an essential strategic tool in the delivery of e-Government-to-Business services (e-G2B). The purpose of this research is to explore direct and indirect effects of trust in online services on the satisfaction of the e-Government service users and other perceptions such as e-G2B system effectiveness and the operational effectiveness of organizations. Based on a sample of e-G2B service users from Saudi Arabia, our preliminary findings suggest that the effects of trust on user satisfaction are mediated by e-G2B system effectiveness measures (e.g., System Quality, Service Quality, and Information Quality) and by operational effectiveness. In addition, we find that operational effectiveness and information quality are the most important drivers of user satisfaction. In contrast to previous research, our results show a negative relationship between trust in online services and service quality and suggest that this finding may have important implications for theory and practice.     

Responsibility Rolls Down: Public Libraries and the Social and Policy Obligations of Ensuring Access to E-government and Government Information

Access to government information has been considered an essential element of democracy since the foundation of the American republic. Over time, the amount of government information produced has increased significantly, and the rise of e-government has made access to online government information, communication, and services equally vital to participation in society and interaction with governments. However, the outlets of free public access to government information and e-government have constricted over time, leaving public libraries as one of the only free public Internet access points in most communities. As a result, public libraries serve as a social guarantor of access to and assistance with government information and e-government services. This article first discusses the historical evolution of the means of access to government information and changes over time in responsibilities in providing such access. After exploring the interrelationships between government information and e-government, the article then details the development of the role of public libraries as guarantors of e-government access. Finally, the article examines the impacts of policy on e-government access in libraries, leading to a set of recommendations and conclusions to support the vital library roles related to e-government.     

Deliberative democracy and the conceptual foundations of electronic government

As electronic government (e-government) becomes increasingly important in the presentation of government information to citizens, the potential impacts of e-government on the democratic process must be carefully considered. E-government clearly has the potential to become an institution that helps to ensure reasoned reflection about political issues and active participation in deliberative democracy by citizens and by members of the government. Though the Internet presents innovative new methods for conveying government information to citizens, it also presents new and serious potential impediments to deliberative democracy, such as group polarization about political issues by online social groups. The ability of e-government sites either to foster democratic dialogue by presenting multiple viewpoints or to enable polarization on political issues by promoting specific views demonstrates a key question about the conceptual foundations of e-government. Drawing upon perspectives from information studies, public policy, law, and governance, this article examines the differing political implications between e-government built on a foundation of participation and on a foundation of polarization.     

The perceived impacts of e-government on U.S. cities: A survey of Florida and Texas City managers

This study examines the perceived impacts of electronic government or e-government adoption on U.S. cities. This research conducted a survey of Texas and Florida city managers in the fall of 2005 to find out their opinions on the impact of e-government on their city government. The results indicated that e-government is having a positive impact on management, stakeholder involvement, needs and collaboration, and procurement in American cities. There are, however, concerns over spam or unsolicited e-mail and the ability of e-government to reduce the level of staffing. The results of this study imply that, according to city managers' perceptions, e-government adoption in American city governments is positively viewed as having an impact on their organizations and communities.     

Citizen interaction with e-government: From the streets to servers?

This article examines citizen interaction with e-government. Much of the existing work on the development of e-government has explored it from a supply-side perspective, such as evidence presented from surveys of what governments offer online. The demand side explanation, which is relatively unexplored, examines citizen interaction with e-government and is the focus of this article. E-government presently has evolved into two identifiable stages. The first stage is the information dissemination phase in which governments catalogue information for public use. The second phase is transaction-based e-government in which there is e-service delivery such as paying taxes online. This article argues that the information and transaction phases are closely intertwined with the street-level bureaucracy literature. Various attributes of citizen interaction with electronic government will be tested in this article. One notable finding was that the Internet improved the ability for e-citizens to interact with government, acknowledging some initial movement from street-level to system-level bureaucracies.     

民众对政务网站信息公开与政务服务的需求与满意度分析

指出通过电子政务网站为民众提供符合其信息需求的信息公开与在线服务,可以提高政府服务社会和管理社会的能力。在分析在线获取政务信息或政务服务流程的基础上,构建理论框架,并以广州市民为研究对象,使用问卷调查法收集数据,研究民众对电子政务网站的政务公开与政务服务的具体需求、用户满意度、使用意愿及影响因素,探索民众从潜在用户向实际用户转变的条件及相关策略。     

Political trust in the internet context: A comparative study in 36 countries

The decline of political trust is often linked to the rise of the Internet. This paper took the perspective of media ecology to explore the Internet's impacts on political trust. The data of the World Values Survey were used for multilevel analyses with 51, 960 respondents in 36 countries. It reported several paradoxical and counter-intuitive results. Instead of being weakened, political trust is strengthened in the new informational context that is created by the Internet infrastructure. For the Internet censorship, political trust is strengthened by the Internet blockage but weakened by the violation of user rights. For the Internet participation, political trust is strengthened by e-information and e-consultation but weakened by e-decision-making.     

An empirical and comparative analysis of E-government performance measurement models: Model selection via explanation,prediction, and parsimony

Driven by the growing importance of the digital provision of government services (e-government), recent research has sought to develop and test conceptual models of citizen satisfaction and trust with these services. Yet, there remains little agreement on how to optimally model these relationships with regards to the somewhat divergent goals of explanation and prediction of citizen trust. In this paper, we test two prominent modeling paradigms of the e-government satisfaction-trust relationship: the “service quality” model and the “expectancy-disconfirmation” model. We compare several variations of these models for their in-sample explanatory abilities, out-of-sample predictive abilities, and parsimony. To test the models, we examine a pooled, cross-agency sample of survey data measuring citizens' experiences with and perceptions of three important and widely accessed U.S. federal e-government services—the webpages of the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Census Bureau. Our findings suggest that while the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm performs well in explanation, a parsimonious model with an “overall quality-satisfaction-trust” link is best suited for predicting trust. In addition, the service quality paradigm offers the best compromise between predictive accuracy and explanatory power. These findings offer new insights for academic researchers, government agencies, and practitioners, especially those deciding upon an empirical model to adopt to measure e-government satisfaction and its impact upon citizen trust.     

E-government developments on delivering public services among EU cities

Since the late 1990s, governments at all levels have launched electronic government projects aimed at providing electronic information and services to citizens and businesses. Although Web sites are becoming essential elements of modern public administration, little is known about their effectiveness. The objective of this paper is to study the quality and usage of public e-services to citizens in Europe.According to the results of this study, e-government seems to be following a more or less predictable development pattern ranging from a stage in which interaction is limited to what is shown on the screen to stages in which there is two-way communication and service and financial transactions can be completed with a satisfactory level of protection of personal privacy. At present, e-government in almost all the cities studied is merely an extension of the government, with potential benefits in speed and accessibility 24/7. Despite the limited degree of development observed, online access has advantages that are impossible to replicate offline. Even though few expect e-government to completely replace traditional methods of information, e-government is becoming a powerful tool of transformation that has become embedded in the culture and in the agenda of the public sector.     

An experimental study of public trust in AI chatbots in the public sector

This study investigates the public's initial trust in so-called “artificial intelligence” (AI) chatbots about to be introduced into use in the public sector. While the societal impacts of AI are widely speculated about, empirical testing remains rare. To narrow this gap, this study builds on theories of operators' trust in machines in industrial settings and proposes that initial public trust in chatbot responses depends on (i) the area of enquiry, since expectations about a chatbot's performance vary with the topic, and (ii) the purposes that governments communicate to the public for introducing the use of chatbots. Analyses based on an experimental online survey in Japan generated results indicating that, if a government were to announce its intention to use “AI” chatbots to answer public enquiries, the public's initial trust in their responses would be lower in the area of parental support than in the area of waste separation, with a moderate effect size. Communicating purposes that would directly benefit citizens, such as achieving uniformity in response quality and timeliness in responding, would enhance public trust in chatbots. Although the effect sizes are small, communicating these purposes might be still worthwhile, as it would be an inexpensive measure for a government to take.     

Improving digital skills for the use of online public information and services

There are recent indications regarding the use of online public services that force the government to focus on the more refined conceptualizations digital divide research has produced. This paper addresses one of the factors that appears to be important in several conceptualizations of how to approach the digital divide; the differential possession of so-called digital skills. The problem of being short of skills becomes urgent when governments suppose that citizens are able to complete about every task on the Internet. Operational definitions for operational, formal, information and strategic skills are used to measure the Internet skills of the Dutch population at large, by giving 109 subjects nine government related assignments to be accomplished on the Internet. Subjects were recruited following a two step approach; randomly select a sample from the book/list of fixed telephony subscribers, followed by drawing a selective quota sample for the strata of gender, age and educational level. The results indicate that on average 80% of the operational skill Internet tasks, 72% of formal Internet skills tasks, 62% of the information Internet skills tasks and 22% of strategic Internet skills tasks assigned have been successfully completed. The Dutch government's expectation that every citizen with an Internet connection is able to complete the assignments following tasks the government thinks every Internet user can perform, clearly is not justified. The article provides two types of policy recommendations to change this state of affairs. Recommendations for improving government websites and for improving the skill levels of Dutch citizens are suggested.     

Collaborative accountability for sustainable public health: A Korean perspective on the effective use of ICT-based health risk communication

The sustainability of public health practices requires collaboration between the government and its citizens. On the government's side, social media can provide a conduit for communicating health risk information in an effective and timely fashion, while also engaging citizens in informed decision-making. On the citizen's side, information communication technology (ICT)-based practices cannot function unless citizens recognize and act on their responsibility to actively engage with government social media platforms. Despite an increasing interest in understanding the adoption of ICT practices and e-government services for health risk communication, there remains a crucial need for a comprehensive framework to explain which factors determine citizen use of digital government resources. The purpose of this study is to investigate how to increase government accountability for motivating citizens to engage in ICT-based health risk communication, thereby attaining sustainable public health practices through collaborative governance.By integrating trust and health risk information into the e-government adoption model (GAM), this research examines factors that influence citizens' likelihood of using government social media resources. Survey data from 700 Korean citizens were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that individuals with higher social media competency are more likely to (a) seek risk information through social media and (b) perceive the government's social media sites as easy to use. Consistent with the GAM, intentions to use the government's social media sites for information and interactions appear to increase as citizens perceive more value in using them regarding information quality, ease of use, functional benefit, and security. Furthermore, perceived trust in the government's social media resources appears to function as a mediator of this process. Initial trust in the government is an important determinant of perceptions of its digital resources. Citizens who trust the government tend to evaluate new initiatives positively and are more likely to accept and make use of them.The results of this study can inform policy design and implementation by elucidating the mechanisms that determine citizens' adoption and usage of digital government services. Theoretically, this work expands the GAM to include health risk communication and adds empirical evidence to the small yet growing body of knowledge of e-government initiatives. These findings also highlight the importance of public trust in the government, as this encourages citizens to seek health risk information and assistance from the government. Overall, the data and model generated in this investigation represent an important step toward the successful and sustainable modernization of public services.