Factors influencing e-government adoption in India: a qualitative approach

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that enable citizens to adopt e-government services in India.

Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews.

Findings: The study reveals novel e-government adoption factors, namely, auxiliary facilities, corruption avoidance, transparency and fairness in process, customer support, connectedness and forced adoption, previously unexplored in e-government adoption literature. In addition, the results highlight 17 e-government adoption factors that strengthen the findings from previous literature.

Research limitations/implications: This study was qualitative in nature, and rather than generalization, the focus was explicitly on obtaining an in-depth understanding. The sample used was sufficient for the purpose of this study and allowed reasonable conclusions to be drawn; however, it cannot be considered representative of a vast country like India. Academicians and information systems researchers can use these findings for further research.

Practical implications: The findings of this study provide useful insights into the decision-making process of e-government services users in India and similar emerging economies. These findings can be important for government officials tasked with providing e-government services.

Originality/value: Previous studies in the context of e-government adoption, so far, have tried to integrate adoption factors from previous technology adoption models. Hence, these studies have not been able to capture the complete essence of e-government characteristics. In addition, there are limited studies in e-government adoption in the Indian context.