Older adults' e-government use for bureaucratic and transactional purposes: the role of website-related perceptions and subjective digital skills

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to establish the link between the attitudes older adults hold toward governmental websites, their subjective online public service use skills and their e-government use for bureaucratic (e.g. document downloading or filling them out online) and transactional (e.g. payment) purposes. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from the 2020 Israel Social Survey and analyzed using binary logistic regression models. The sample included internet users aged 60 years and older (N = 735). Findings Subjective use skills were positively associated with each studied type of e-government use. Perception of security in providing personal information on governmental websites was also positively associated with both types of use. Perceived clarity and simplicity of governmental websites was (positively) related to transactional e-government use only. Research limitations/implications The results suggest that the types of e-government use in older adulthood are not contingent upon exactly the same factors. Moreover, attitudes toward e-government seem to be more relevant for transactional rather than bureaucratic e-government use in this lifespan period. Originality/value The study examines factors related to government website uses of various types in later life – a rarely studied topic in e-government research.