Balancing Digital-By-Default with Inclusion: A Study of the Factors Influencing E-Inclusion in the UK

Abstract

Digital inclusion research has been critically important in drawing an understanding of how policies, society, organisations, and information technologies can all come together within a national environment that aspires to be a digital nation. This research aims to examine the factors influencing e-Inclusion in the UK within a digital-by-default policy for government services. This study is pursued through combining the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB) with Use and Gratification Theory (U&G) and conducting a self-administered survey targeting 510 Internet users to study the level of citizens engagement with egovernment services in the UK. By incorporating gratification, trust, risk and external factors (i.e. self-efficacy, accessibility, availability, affordability) within DTPB, the proposed model of e-Inclusion used in the paper demonstrates a considerable explanatory and predictive power and offers a frame of reference to study the acceptance and usage of e-government within a national context where nearly all government transactions are digital-by-default. The findings revealed six dimensions as key inhibitors for e-Inclusion, namely: demographic, economic, social, cultural, political, and infrastructural.

E-Government and Entrepreneurship: Online Government Services and the Ease of Starting Business

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A policy-level perspective to tackle rural digital inclusion

“…Digital inclusion activities essentially include: i) affordable, and good quality broadband and mobile access, ii) Internet-enabled devices, iii) quality technical support, iv) accessible applications and online content designed to enable and encourage selfsufficiency, participation, and collaboration, and v) access to digital skills training and support (Park et al, 2019;Al-Muwil et al, 2019, Fang et al, 2019. Such digital inclusion activities are delivered through the provision of initiatives by a plethora of organisations (public, private and third sector), to tackle digital inequalities, the implementation of Digital-by-Default, and improve social inclusion, (Mariën and Van Audenhove, 2012;Al-Muwil et al, 2019;Yates et al, 2015). However, digital inclusion suffers from conceptual inconsistencies and dichotomies that lead to ambiguities in understanding why and what is needed to be included in the information society (Nemer, 2015;Jaeger et al, 2012).…”

Exploring Experience at the Intersection of Migration and Digital Democracy in South Korea

“…Smartphones are increasingly faster and have many functions but are less suitable than desktops and laptop computers for performing some complex tasks. 'Digital by default' and mobile-only approaches risk leaving behind those who are the most marginalized (Al-Muwil et al 2019). These points all demonstrate that the digital divide is not just about economics.…”