Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore the secondary data (microdata) from Brazilian “ICT in households and enterprises Survey” in order to understand how the individuals’ use of electronic government services (e-gov) is affected by their location of access to the internet and usage competences of Brazilian internet users. To this end, this research was based on the approach of the capabilities developed by economist Amartya Sen. The procedures concerning processing and data analysis were based on the application of descriptive (univariate and bivariate analysis of frequency) and multivariate statistical techniques (binary logistic regression). The results indicate that the use of e-government services is closely related to the following skills: e-mail usage, e-commerce (search for goods and services) and financial services (consultations). Such skills are favored by Internet access at home and at work, preferred routes to other alternatives such as Internet cafes (public centers providing free access) and tele-centers (public centers with free access). Finally, the article discusses the potential implications of the results of this research in the development of public policies for digital inclusion.
Highlights
The development of the Information Society includes the risk of creating a new form of social exclusion: that of individuals deprived of digital resources
As research propositions we present the following reasoning: Starting with the comparison of preferred location of internet access and its influence on the user’s capabilities, for which we propose as proxies the actual use of e-mail, e-commerce and e-financial services
The data analyses support our propositions of the positive contribution of internet access from home or work to the development of internet usage competencies and the contribution of these factors to e-government services usage, as answers to the paper’s initial research question
Summary
The development of the Information Society includes the risk of creating a new form of social exclusion: that of individuals deprived of digital resources. Digital inclusion has been widely studied (WILHELM, 2000; CASTELLS, 2001; 2010; SORJ; GUEDES, 2005; MORI; ASSUMPÇÃO, 2007; MADON et al, 2009) it cannot be reduced to providing physical access to the technological resources, but must consider user diversity and ability for the different uses (entertainment, communication, education, ecommerce, e-government, etc.). The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br, in Portuguese) and other international institutions (UNO, OECD, World Bank and others) have developed indicators and metrics of the appropriation of ICTs, in order to understand the multiple dimensions of digital inclusion. CGI.br designed its survey in accordance with OECD, Eurostat and Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development methodology, allowing international comparisons (CGI, 2012). The survey statistics and methodology are available in Portuguese and English i n http://www.cgi.br/publicacoes/index.htm
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