Motivations for implementing e-government: an investigation of the global phenomenon

Internet communication technology has significantly affected the way information is presented, exchanged and processed. Websites, in particular are being touted as the catalyst by which organizations move away from geographic and time constraints to more immediate, customized responses to customer needs. Governments around the globe are recognizing the power of the Internet and are implementing what has been called egovernment, the deployment of digitized inter-connective communication systems linking governmental organizations and its stakeholders such as the public, businesses, and other governments. It is not uncommon for governments to try and harness technological innovation to improve their operations and services. What is extraordinary about e-government is the widespread execution of these programs around the globe. Nation-states around the world from developed to developing, capitalist to communist, democracy to authoritarian are spending resources to make e-government a possibility, or acquiring support from international funding organizations, such as US Agency for International Development (USAID), when resources are not available. This paper explores scholarly literature to identify various motivations for implementing e-government. But, unlike most research on e-government adoption, this paper focuses on the citizen-centric and global legitimization pressure factors that impact the decision.