Examining the relationship between e-government development, nation’s cyber-security commitment, business usage and economic prosperity: a cross-country analysis

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to propose a model to examine the relationships between e-government development, cybersecurity commitment, business usage and economic prosperity of the country. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the country-level variables to explain the second-order impact of e-government development through the mediating role of cybersecurity commitment. Findings Findings suggest that e-government development demonstrated a stronger association with cybersecurity commitment and business usage. There is preliminary evidence that the improvement of cybersecurity measures initiated by e-government development will drive business usage and improve macroeconomic conditions. Research limitations/implications This paper has constructed a theoretical model and validated it using publicly available archival data. Further, this study hypothesizes and demonstrates empirically the direct, as well as indirect relationships between e-government development, cybersecurity commitment, business usage and economic prosperity. To summarize, the study unearths the role of a nation’s cybersecurity commitment and how it is associated with other macro parameters in a country. Originality/value As an initial step, the present study highlights the pivotal role of e-government and its positive influence on cybersecurity commitment at the country level. Further, this study also recognizes the role of cyber commitment to boost information communication and technology usage in business, the use of e-government services for the profitability of the business and effectively influence economic prosperity.

Investigating the drivers of cybersecurity enhancement in public organizations: The case of Jordan

“…Kwon et al (2013) demonstrated that senior management can impact employee attitudes and behaviors towards the organization's security approaches and techniques. Several studies (Kharlamov & Pogrebna, 2019; Krishna & Sebastian, 2021; McFadzean et al, 2006) have stated that the commitment of senior management is essential to enhancing the level of cybersecurity effectiveness in organizations. Hu et al (2012) argue that the commitment of senior management to cybersecurity positively motivates employees to engage in cybersecurity procedures and gain the skills required to increase the organization's security level.…”

“…Previous studies (Al‐ma'aitah, 2017; Al‐Omoush et al, 2021; Zhu & Kraemer, 2005) have demonstrated that coercive pressure is a significant driver of the organizations' adoption of novel technologies such as Cloud ERPs, SCRM, and e‐business platforms. A study by Krishna and Sebastian (2021) indicated that organizations benefit from adhering to specific benchmark standards, such as ISO/IEC 27000, as this ensures that their online services are trustworthy and improves customer satisfaction. In the cybersecurity context, legal guidelines and restrictions set by governments are often important originators of coercive pressures on organizations.…”

“…The 2019 formal annual report on cyber‐dependent crime indicated that cybercriminal activity is one of humanity's most significant challenges in the next two decades. Moreover, it is estimated that the funds required to counter cybercrimes in institutions will exceed $6tn by 2021 (Krishna & Sebastian, 2021). In the Jordanian context, The Jordanian legislator regulated the cyber security law in 2019.…”

“…In the recent years, public organizations have taken increasing action to protect their internet content from cyberattacks. Recent studies agree that cybersecurity risk management is an urgent need that must be addressed to enhance the effectiveness of e‐government services (Al‐Zahrani, 2020; Krishna & Sebastian, 2021). More specifically, the literature indicates that increased cybersecurity levels play an important role in securing the successful application of e‐governance services (Goswami, 2018; Kumar et al, 2020).…”

“…Cybersecurity risk management strategies aim to develop techniques and security policies that define measures to protect organizational information, networks, communications, and e‐services from digital attacks (Mandritsa et al, 2018). A thorough literature review reveals that research on the relationship between enhanced cybersecurity levels and e‐government development is currently limited, despite the importance of this topic (Krishna & Sebastian, 2021). The present study aims to help fill this gap in the current research.…”