Citizens’ assessment of the information quality of e-government websites in Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose E-government websites/portals are effective modes of communication between governments and citizens. The information quality (IQ) of these websites/portals is of vital importance and, hence, is worth assessing, to ensure their effectiveness. This study aims to assess the IQ dimensions of e-government websites/portals in Pakistan and also evaluate the most significant IQ indicators. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative research method based on a survey. The data were collected from a sample of young citizens, and a questionnaire was adopted from a previous study by Kandari, et al. (2011) with minor changes to reflect the local context. Findings The findings revealed that out of 20 IQ indicators, 14 were rated 4 or 5 on a five-point Likert scale, indicating a reasonably high IQ for Pakistani e-government websites/portals. Value-added, “accessibility” and “objectivity” were the top three indicators, while timeliness, ease of operation and advertisement were the least rated indicators, suggesting that these need to be addressed. The findings of the study also revealed that IQ indicators are not affected by the different age groups of citizens. Research limitations/implications The focus of this study was limited to university students to understand their perceptions about IQ indicators of e-government websites in Pakistan, and the results can only be generalized to young Pakistani citizens and the developing countries with a similar context. Practical implications This study could provide some guidance to policy makers and websites designers in the development of e-government websites according to users’ needs and identifying the ways to regularly maintain and update these websites. Originality/value This study provides an understanding of the IQ of Pakistani e-government websites from the citizens’ perspective. It attempts to fill that gap and produce findings that could assist in making informed policy decisions.

Factors Affecting Trust in E-Government

“…In the instance of citizens using local government websites for public services in Indonesia, this study also justified that information quality influences trust in e-government (p-value=0.001). As a result, this research validates the establishment of some scholars in other countries (Khan et al, 2021;Losanta & Deshmukh, 2019;Aljazzaf, 2019;Nofal et al, 2021;Kaushik & Mishra, 2019;Abu Shanab, 2019;Rasool et al, 2019;Putri & Ruldeviyani, 2019;Lee et al, 2019).…”

“…Abu-Shanab also showed information quality as predictor variable of trust in e-government as dependent variable (Abu Shanab, 2019). Furthermore Rasool et al assessed that the information quality of websites/portals is vital importance of citizens' use of e-government in Pakistan (Rasool et al, 2019). The National Public Procurement Agency (NPPA) at Indonesian Government Agencies uses the website as a service to citizens to share information related to regulations, organizational profiles, and functions.…”

Predictors for E-Government Adoption of SANAD App Services Integrating UTAUT, TPB, TAM, Trust, and Perceived Risk

“…According to [17], effort expectancy (EE) is "the degree of ease associated with the use of the system". Several studies, such as [6,10,18] found that the easier a technology is Performance Expectancy (PE) is defined as: "the degree to which using a technology will provide benefits in performing certain activities" [17]. Ref.…”

“…According to [17], effort expectancy (EE) is "the degree of ease associated with the use of the system". Several studies, such as [6,10,18] found that the easier a technology is to use, the more likely users are to adopt it, also stated that Individuals often believed that they would receive help from using user-friendly technologies. Camilleri [2] and Mensah et al [25] stated that effort expectancy is an important predictor and has a direct and significant effect on the citizens' intention to adopt and use e-government services.…”

“…the researchers sought the elderly to wear health technologies [ 4 , 5 ]. In [ 6 ], the researchers studied the quality of e-government websites in Pakistan, [ 7 ] London and New York, and in China [ 8 ]. In [ 9 ], the prime question was “will e-government provide the promised returns?”.…”