Perception of corruption in e-government services post-launch of “Digital India”: role of demographic variables

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to underline the role of demographic variables as far as the perception of corruption among the Indian respondents is concerned. Design/methodology/approach Hierarchical regression analysis is conducted to ascertain the role of demographic variables in line with the study’s objectives. Findings Gender is a demographic factor that influences the perception of corruption by the respondents. Other demographic factors including education, marital status, professional status and age do not have any influence on the user perception of corruption in e-government services. Implicitly, there are differences in the manner in which men and women perceive the prevalence of corruption in India. Therefore, males perceive that corruption has decreased in e-government services post-launch of “Digital India” initiative and women perceive the opposite. Research limitations/implications On the one hand, the study holds significance, in that no empirical investigation has been conducted which seeks to underline the impact of the “Digital India” initiatives on the citizen’s perception of corruption in public services. On the other hand, the present research is limited in the sense that only demographic variables are being probed in the present study with a small sample. Originality/value Studies in developing countries have remained few and far between despite the growing concern for existence of corruption in government services. The present study seeks to fill the gap by underlining the role of demographic variables as far as the perception of corruption in public services is concerned in the Indian context.