E-government Research Articles

Digitally Driven Urban Governance: Framework and Evaluation in China

With the rapid development of digital technology, the role of digitalisation in urban governance continues to emerge. Building a theoretical analysis framework and evaluation system of digitally driven urban governance has important theoretical and practical significance for stimulating the efficiency of digital technology tools and improving the energy level of urban digital governance. This paper aims to explore the mechanism of urban governance enabled by digital technology, innovatively change the previous thinking mode that only attaches importance to facility construction and e-government platforms, adopt ecological thinking, and comprehensively consider the role of “soft elements” such as strategic support, industrial support, the security environment, talent support, and the market environment. Then, the extreme value variance method and the coefficient of variation method are used to calculate the overall capacity and secondary index scores of each city, and the standard deviation of secondary index scores is used to represent the sub-environmental balance of the cross-sectional data of China’s provinces. In order to further explore which indicators restrict the improvement of China’s urban digital governance capacity, this study also constructs an obstacle degree model. The results show the following: (1) The overall capability of China’s digitally driven urban governance is low, with a total score of 27.25, indicating that China’s digitally driven urban governance is in its infancy. (2) There is a significant development imbalance among Chinese provinces, with Beijing ranking first with a score of 81.16, and Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, and Ningxia scoring less than 13.30 points, ranking as the bottom 5 among the 31 provinces. (3) The shortcomings of talent support, industrial support, and the security environment restrict the improvement of the entire digital ecological governance ability.

Digital Governance and Electronic Waste Management at Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul – Brazil

The Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS) has the Information and Communication Technology Master Plan (PDTIC) to guide and monitor the performance of the Information Technology (IT) area within the institution. The IT area at UFMS has the Digital Governance Committee (CGD), responsible for drafting the Information Security Policy (PSI); the Information and Communication Technology Procurement Plan (PCTIC); the Open Data Plan (PDA); and the University's PDTIC. In addition to the Information and Communication Technology Agency (AGETIC), which is responsible for coordinating, guiding, supervising, executing, and controlling the organization's IT activities. This work aims to demonstrate that sustainability is part of both Digital Governance and the curriculum of UFMS students, focusing on the management of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) within the University. The UFMS Solid Waste and Health Services Management Plan (PGRS/PGRSS) outlines guidelines for the management of these materials, and annually, since 2017, the Faculty of Computing (FACOM) at UFMS organizes the Electronic Waste Collection Week, a project aimed at raising awareness among the academic community about disposal, reuse, and recycling, helping to conserve the environment. This action assists in the education of these students by making them protagonists in this initiative. In each edition hundreds of electronic devices have been reused by students and community, serving as an example of socio-environmental impact action. The methodology employed by UFMS to organize and advance electronic waste management efforts involved the establishment of digital governance regulations, along with sustainability management and governance practices, in order to structure and promote electronic waste management actions at UFMS.

Enhancing Public Service Delivery through Digital Transformation: A Study on the Role of E-Government in Modern Public Administration

Digital transformation has become a crucial element in improving the quality of public service delivery, particularly through the implementation of e-government. This study aims to analyze the role of e-government in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of modern public administration. Using a qualitative research method through literature analysis and in-depth interviews with government employees across several public service agencies in Indonesia, this study explores the benefits and challenges faced in the implementation of e-government. The findings indicate that e-government significantly contributes to expediting public service processes, increasing transparency, and minimizing potential corruption and abuse of power. Furthermore, e-government enables more effective interagency collaboration through integrated information systems, positively impacting operational efficiency. However, the study also identifies obstacles to the adoption of e-government, such as limited digital infrastructure, resistance from government officials, and the digital divide in society, which can reduce its effectiveness. This study concludes that e-government can serve as a strategic instrument for public administration reform if supported by infrastructure improvements, human resource training, and increased public digital literacy. Consequently, e-government not only enhances the quality of public services but also strengthens accountability and public trust in the government. The study’s recommendations include strategies to improve information technology capacity, formulate policies that support digital transformation, and raise awareness and public participation in utilizing digital government services.

Article: Artificial Intelligence and International Trade from a Latin American Perspective

The article explores the impact of Artificial intelligence (AI) on international trade, focusing on challenges and opportunities for developing countries, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). As AI advances, it creates regulatory challenges and ethical concerns, especially regarding human rights and public morals, which may lead to trade frictions not addressed by current international agreements. AI brings important benefits to countries, such as cost reductions and efficiencies, alongside challenges related to data privacy, competition, and security. For developing countries, adopting AI offers both opportunities and obstacles, with infrastructure and human capital constraints being significant hurdles. The article suggests flexible regulatory approaches to attract investment, promote digital services exports, and ease cross-border data flow. While global trade discussions, particularly within the WTO, are addressing AI-related issues, regional agreements have made more progress. These agreements lack however comprehensive coverage and effective dispute resolution. It is important for LAC countries participating in international negotiations to ensure their interests are represented and to help shape global digital governance standards, enabling them to fully benefit from AI.

A Systematic Review of Alternative Service Delivery in Africa for Taming Wicked Risks

This research considers the role that alternative service delivery can play in addressing wicked problems. The aim of this research is, firstly, to determine which evidence and knowledge are available on alternative service delivery arrangements relevant to African countries to inform decisions about addressing wicked problems on the continent. Second, this research determines suitable mechanisms for an alternative service delivery model for mitigating wicked risks in Africa. This research is based on a systematic literature review. This systematic literature review reveals that most work on alternative service delivery has been done in developed countries, with developing African countries being left behind in research on alternative service delivery. Furthermore, most of the alternative service delivery efforts have not focused on addressing wicked problems. A large number of articles on alternative service delivery models show that alternative delivery is not a preferred approach in Africa. This research recommends an alternative service delivery model that is based on digital governance, service delivery innovation and partnerships. Robust governance responses are needed to mitigate these wicked risks, and alternative service delivery presents robust features to mitigate these risks given that it is more flexible, agile, adaptable, and decentralized in nature than simply relying on traditional government responses. Lastly, risk-informed decision-making should be placed at the center of the reform agenda for a smart and sustainable society.

Digital government initiatives for sustainable innovations, digitalization, and emission reduction policies to balance conservation impact

AbstractThe rapid advancement of digital technologies in China, America, India, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Indonesia, Germany, Iran, South Korea, and Russia presents both significant opportunities and challenges for achieving sustainable development, particularly in balancing economic growth with environmental conservation. This study rigorously assesses the impact of digital government initiatives on sustainable innovations and emission reduction policies from 2002 to 2022, focusing on their ability to balance ecological and economic influences. By employing a sophisticated model that integrates second‐generation tests to confirm cross‐sectional dependence and gradient variation, this research ensures the precision of its findings. The analysis reveals that digitalization, clean energy adoption, and the utilization of these countries' abundant natural resources over this two‐decade period have contributed substantially to reducing their ecological footprints. However, the study also identifies structural discontinuities in the linear trends and intercepts due to the integration of these technologies. By incorporating variables such as e‐commerce, income from natural resources, economic growth, conservation‐friendly technologies, sustainable energy sources, and carbon dioxide emissions, the model provides a comprehensive evaluation. The results highlight a consistent decline in ecological impact driven by technological and economic advancements. The policy implications are clear: to sustain and enhance these positive trends, governments must continue to promote digitalization and innovation while carefully managing the integration of new technologies to prevent potential disruptions.

Evolution and Elements of Collaborative Governance Theory

With the advancement of globalization and the formation and development of a network society, there have been governance issues that cross departments, organizations, regions, and national borders, including environmental protection, immigration, international trade disputes, and digital government construction. Such a “thorny” problem is difficult to solve by a single organization, so cross-border collaborative governance has become increasingly important. In such an interdependent world, collaborative governance has begun to be widely concerned by academic circles. The attention to the theory of collaborative governance reached its first peak at the third Minobrook Conference and has gradually become a hot topic in the field of public administration in the last ten years. This paper focuses on the historical background of the evolution and development of collaborative governance theory, sorts out the definitions of collaborative governance by scholars at home and abroad, and introduces the main components of collaborative governance in the initial stage, process stage, and result stage. These achievements have certain reference significance for understanding collaborative governance.

Platform power and regulatory capture in digital governance

Abstract Digital governance is a public concern, yet under private control. After numerous scandals, all stakeholders in the European Union (EU) agreed to establish a “novel constitution for the internet” that would effectively constrain the power of large platforms. Yet the Digital Services Act (DSA) ultimately legitimized and institutionalized their position as the gatekeepers of the internet. Why? We argue that platforms prevailed thanks to their ability as intermediaries to quietly shape the available policy options. Our “platform power mechanism” combines institutional and ideational sources of business power to show how big tech drew on its entrenched position as an indispensable provider of essential services and promulgated the idea of itself as a responsible and neutral intermediary. We follow the unfolding of platform power through a process-tracing analysis of Google and Meta’s activities with respect to DSA legislation from its announcement (2020) to its adoption (2022). Besides contributing a reconceptualization of the DSA as a regulatory capture, we integrate the notion of platform power into a “regulator–intermediary–target” model and demonstrate how gatekeepers have exploited information asymmetries to share “the public space.” Our analysis thus supplements established approaches that have derived regulators’ deference to platforms from the tacit allegiance of consumers.

Synergizing Enterprise Digital Governance and Green Development: Opportunities and Challenges

With the in-depth development of global informatization and industrialization, the collaborative development of enterprise digital governance and green has become an important issue faced by enterprises today. Digital governance can improve the operational efficiency of enterprises, while green collaborative development can help enterprises achieve sustainable development. The two complement each other and jointly promote the long-term development of enterprises. This paper will analyze the current situation, challenges, and development trends of the collaborative development of enterprise digital governance and green and present some insights and thoughts. Only by strengthening the mutual promotion of digital governance and green collaborative development can the sustainable development of enterprises be achieved. In the future, with the in-depth development of informatization and industrialization, this topic will be more important. This study hope that more enterprises and research institutions will pay attention to this issue, jointly promote the progress of digital governance and green coordinated development and contribute to green and high-quality economic and social development.

E-Government Progress in Emerging Nations Insights from Developing Countries

E-government, which stands to benefit from ICT, offers the chance to improve public services. ICT has been successfully incorporated into several nations' governing structures, like China, South Korea. Many other nations, particularly those in the developing world, are still struggling to create stronger governance systems because they have not yet successfully incorporated ICT into their governance frameworks. This study contributes by conducting a comparative study on the Bangladesh-Indonesia’s current e-government progress. Both countries transferring to digital systems and attempting to establish an electronic government. The E-Government Development Index (EGDI) reports and rankings from the United Nations are the focus of this research. Our study's results demonstrate that, Bangladesh and Indonesia have significantly improved its ranking from 2008 to 2022. In order to facilitate e-governance and support improved online services, progress in human development, and telecommunication infrastructure, Bangladesh and Indonesia require an improve and more advance e-government model in terms of administration, facilitation, and participation.

Electronic governance in advancing sustainable development goals through systematic literature review

E-governance has become a crucial element in transforming government institutions globally. In the digital era, governments are increasingly adopting information and communication technology (ICT) to improve efficiency, transparency, and public participation in decision-making processes. This article conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) of studies from 2018 to 2023, examining the intersection between e-governance and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a rigorous inclusion and exclusion process, 52 articles were identified, focusing on the relationship between e-governance and SDGs. This study aims to highlight critical trends and knowledge gaps in the current literature and offers insights into how e-governance can contribute to achieving SDGs. Additionally, it provides policy recommendations and suggests future research directions to enhance governance practices. While this research significantly advances understanding of e-governance’s role in sustainable development, it is limited by its reliance on a single database and narrow search terms, which may constrain the comprehensiveness of the findings. Expanding the scope of future research to include multiple databases and broader search terms is recommended to provide a more holistic view of the field.

The Interaction Effects of Board Independence and Digital Transformation on Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance: Complementary or Substitutive?

Both board independence (BI) and digital transformation (DT) play important roles in promoting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. However, few studies have focused on their interaction effects on ESG performance (ESGP). The study selected Chinese A-share listed companies from 2013 to 2023 as the research sample and used a moderating effect model to test the complementary or substitutive relationship between the two. The empirical results show that there is a substitutive effect, rather than a complementary one. Further analysis of the individual ESG pillars revealed that the substitutive effect of BI and DT is primarily reflected in corporate governance. Moreover, this substitutive effect is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises and non-manufacturing enterprises, and digital supervision mechanisms may have a stronger substitutive role than traditional independent director oversight mechanisms. These findings uncover the complex relationship between the two governance mechanisms and corporate ESGP, offering important insights for managers; companies need to strike a balance between “human governance” and “digital governance” to maximize ESGP.

Achieving collaborative pollutant and carbon emissions reduction through digital governance: Evidence from Chinese enterprises

Under China's dual carbon goals, it is imperative for enterprises to effectively reduce carbon emissions while achieving pollutant reduction. This article explores the potential role of government-implemented digital governance in facilitating these objectives. Utilizing a quasi-natural experiment on digital governance, we established an analytical framework to thoroughly examine how digital governance can help Chinese enterprises realize synergistic effects in pollution control and carbon reduction. Our study reveals that digital governance significantly reduces enterprises' emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants, with emission intensities of the carbon dioxide, air pollutant and water pollutant being decreased by approximately 6.9%, 7.3%, and 7.0%, respectively. These reductions are primarily driven by improvements in energy efficiency, the promotion of green innovation, digital transformation, and enhanced role of media. However, it is important to note that digital governance also negatively impacts overall corporate productivity and widens the digital divide between large and small-to-medium enterprises. The research results have practical significance for promoting the achievement of emission reduction goals and sustainable development for enterprises.

Digital Government In The Professional Career Service In Mexico

Digital Government In The Professional Career Service In Mexico

A new normal? Streaming municipal assemblies on social media before, during and after the pandemic

This study aims at understanding the effects that the Covid-19 lockdowns had on the streaming of municipal assemblies via social media, whether those effects persisted after the pandemic, and what were the main determinants, motivations, and consequences of adopting that practice. To accomplish these goals, an exploratory mixed methods approach is used. Quantitative methods are used to assess the evolution of the number of municipalities streaming their assemblies and to identify determinants of adoption. Qualitative methods are used to capture the perception of relevant actors. Portugal is used as the case of study (308 municipalities). It was found that streaming of municipal assemblies was clearly triggered by the pandemic and the subsequent local elections, while being moderated by some of the factors that are known to be important for digital government development at the local level: demography, socioeconomic dynamism, citizen participation, and political environment. It was also found that streaming assemblies contributes to improve transparency, accountability, trust, proximity, and the public image of the bodies, albeit having no effect on the forms available for citizen participation. It also contributes to assembly members' interventions becoming more frequent, longer, targeted, and moderated. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study to address the streaming of municipal assemblies via social media.

Improved Shipping Company Performance Created by Digital Business Transformation and Corporate Culture

The pace of digital business transformation is accelerating; digital transformation cannot be a one-time activity, so organizations must develop a continuous development mentality and culture of adapting services and systems faster and more frequently by incorporating new technologies and practices to meet customer expectations. The study aimed to analyze the effect of digital transformation on cultural transformation on the performance of shipping companies, with job satisfaction as a mediating factor. Data analysis in this study is SEM analysis with the analysis of moment structure (AMOS) program. Respondents in this study were all employees who handled ship arrival and departure permits at 39 shipping companies in South Kalimantan, totaling 367 people. Based on the Slovin formula, the number of samples used were 191. The results show that digital business transformation and corporate culture transformation can improve the quality, quantity, and reliability of shipping company performance with job satisfaction as a mediating factor. The results of the research on the performance of shipping companies that are influenced by digital business transformation and corporate culture transformation can broaden and deepen the development of the digital government readiness assessment theory of change applied in both developing and developed countries as a measuring tool for the economy of countries and companies. Keywords: shipping company performance, digital business transformation, corporate culture

Enhancing M-Government service adoption in Saudi Arabia: the role of mobile edge computing in moderating technology acceptance

Purpose Mobile edge computing (MEC) services have long been used by private enterprises in Saudi Arabia with considerable success; however, there has been a stark lack of insight into how these services can be used to improve mobile government (M-Government) services for KSA citizens. This study aims to bridge this gap by integrating MEC with an enhanced version of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and examining its effects on user behavior and acceptance. Design/methodology/approach A closed-ended survey was administered to 1,500 people, and the responses were analyzed using sophisticated advanced statistical techniques to test an expanded TAM, using a quantitative method that uses structural equation modeling to validate the proposed model and hypotheses. Findings This study reveals that MEC significantly influences users’ intentions about using M-Government services and their tolerance for new technology adoption. Specifically, service cost and social influence are positively linked with end users’ intention to adopt M-Government services. Originality/value The novelty and contribution of this paper to existing literature are in highlighting the pivotal role of MEC in transforming public sector service delivery through technology. This study not only supports the adoption of M-Government services to enhance social welfare but also demonstrates and concludes some practical and theoretical ramifications of MEC service adoption.

Chatbot applications in government frontline services: leveraging artificial intelligence and data governance to reduce problems and increase effectiveness

ABSTRACT Taiwan has been developing digital technology for many years. Whether it is industry or government, Taiwan’s digitalisation level is among the highest in the world. This research aims to show how the application of chatbots and AI technology affects Taiwan’s local governments, what problems have arisen from its operations so far, and what key factors provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of chatbots. Contributions to the transformation of existing digital governments can be used to strengthen governance and political participation. This article adopts a case study approach. The research findings are based on the evaluation model constructed by literature review and in-depth interviews; this ideal model examined the operational effectiveness of existing local government chatbots. Through in-depth interviews, we discovered that human-robot collaboration would be the most beneficial model for using artificial intelligence in the future. In order to maximise the benefits of human-robot collaboration, government agencies must enhance organisational members’ understanding of artificial intelligence through education and training to help cross-domain communication and coordination activities with entrusted units and through education and training to build an organisational culture that supports the organisation’s digital transformation.

Resource curse, energy consumption, and moderating role of digital governance: Insights from South Asian countries

This study investigates the relationships between the resource curse, energy consumption, and the moderating role of digital governance within the context of South Asian countries. By employing a robust analytical framework, the study delves into how digital governance can potentially mitigate the adverse effects of the resource curse while influencing energy consumption patterns. It employs Method of Moment Quantile Regression (MMQR) on south asian countries panel from 2003 to 2022. The findings report detrimental impact of natural resources rent on economic growth, confirming resource curse hypothesis in low and high growth countries. Digital governance has a positive and significant impact at middle and higher quantiles. The joint influence of natural resources rent, and digital governance is associated with lower economic growth. It imply that digital governance doest not decreases the negative effect of natural resources rent on economic growth. Energy consumption contributes to higher economic growth from lower to higher quantiles. The interaction of digital governance and energy consumption has significant and positive impact on higher quantiles, suggesting that digital governance enhances energy consumption efficiency. These findings suggest valuable policy suggestions.

Comparative Analysis of Government Website and Service Monitoring System Ratings among State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) in Malaysia

This study explores the comparison of websites of various State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) in Malaysia using the Government Website and Service Monitoring System known as SPLaSK ratings. SPLaSK, an initiative by the Malaysian government serves as a critical tool for monitoring and evaluating the performance of government websites and services. By focusing on the SIRCs, this study seeks to identify patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement in digital governance. Using qualitative content analysis and semi-structured interviews, the study analyzes SPLaSK ratings of SIRCs to understand how these councils utilize digital platforms to engage with the public, disseminate information, and provide services. Websites registered with SPLaSK are assessed based on six (6) dimensions, namely accessibility, ease of use, quality of content, privacy or security, responsiveness, and reliability. It has been disclosed that only 10 out of 14 SIRCs were registered with SPLaSK in 2023, with 40% achieving excellent ratings of above 80%. The overall scores of the websites also suggest that four (4) SIRCs have underperformed, receiving scores below 50, attributed to inefficient website management. The findings offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of SPLaSK in promoting transparency, efficiency, and user-friendliness in government digital services, thus contributing to the broader discourse on digital governance within government agencies in Malaysia