Does e-readiness of citizens ensure better adoption of government’s digital initiatives? A case based study

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically examine and evaluate the “E-Readiness” of the citizens of India which is imperative to make such large scale e-government initiatives a success. The researchers tried to compare India with some developed and developing countries where the e-government model have been implemented successfully, looking at the prime factors for the successful implementation. Design/methodology/approach The methodology adopted for this study is exploratory in nature. A comprehensive questionnaire was adapted and the survey was conducted mostly in online format. The data were found reliable for further analysis. Exploratory factor analysis provides us five factors covering approximately 50 per cent of the variance explained. So, the authors can infer five dimensions to be the major constituents of e-readiness as per this study. Findings The findings are quite significant as end users and citizens were found to be quite involved in the usage of technology. Thus, user’s proactive participation in technological assimilation also augurs well for the e-readiness of the society. But people are worried about the safety and security of the automated and online services. Originality/value The questionnaire was developed by the authors and the data analysis was also done on the basis of responses received. The paper adds value to the existing literature by capturing the issues behind the acceptance of the several technologies backed government initiatives. The authors believe that the findings will help the government to implement digital initiatives with more success.