Third stage E-government and county employees: A case study of the Clark County Business License Department

Abstract

Third Stage E-Government and County Employees: A Case Study of the Clark County Business License Department by Benjamin B. Bond III Dr. Karen Layne, Committee Chair Professor of Public Administration University of Nevada, Las Vegas This study presents the results of research designed to evaluate attitudes of county-level employees who are working within government departments that have undertaken electronic government (e-government) initiatives. Specifically, the guiding question addressed throughout this study has been: “How do county employees perceive third stage e-government initiatives?” Additionally, this paper will examine multiple factors that have been identified as key components of slowing the implementation process such as: resistance to technology, insufficient participation of employees in e-government development initiatives and management/ employee interaction in regard to e-government implementation. This paper is based on research gathered using a self-administered survey of thirty questions distributed to employees of the Clark County Business License Department. Factor analysis was employed to examine differing patterns of correlation within survey variable results to determine what, if any, factors exist. Factors that became most evident upon examination were employees’ years of education and what their capacity of work was in the department. These factors were then cross-tabulated with responses to survey variables in an attempt to better interpret patterns of responses. The results of the research indicate an opposing view toward the majority of published literature dealing with the resistance information of technology. This study also examines the components identified as slowing e-government implementation against these two factors.