Digital Divides in Urban E‐Government in South Korea: Exploring Differences in Municipalities' Use of the Internet for Environmental Governance

Abstract

AbstractThe digital divide eclipses the innovative potential of Internet technologies for environmental governance. This study explores the determinants of discrepancies across city government websites in their capability to support environmental information and communication. Drawing insights from prior research, hypotheses were developed to examine the effects of organizational factors and community characteristics on the adoption of website features addressing environmental issues. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on data collected from South Korean municipalities. The urban e‐government divide was significantly associated with senior officials' innovative leadership, the size of available financial and human resources, and the richness of environmental groups. To bridge the e‐government divide at the local level, this study underlines the need for a collaborative partnership between the central and local governments and community efforts in the cultivation of social capital.