Citizens’ or Government’s Will? Exploration of Why Indonesia’s Local Governments Adopt Technologies for Open Government

Abstract

Web 2.0 is a technology that enables collaboration between citizens and the government to actualise the concept of open government. The adoption of technology in the public sector is known to have positive impacts in fostering public sector innovation, including in developing countries with various problems that require collaboration between citizens and the government. However, currently studies concerning open government technology adoption in developing countries are limited. Indonesia as an example of a developing and democratic country provides a suitable context to explore this phenomenon. Moreover, there are many local government institutions in Indonesia, especially on Java Island, that have implemented Web 2.0 to support open government initiatives. Therefore, this research aims to explore key factors influencing the adoption of the Web 2.0 platform by local government institutions in Indonesia. Multiple theories are combined to guide the exploration of the influencing factors related to technology, organisations, management, and the environment. Based on a multiple case study involving five local government institutions in Indonesia, we identified fifteen factors affecting the adoption of Web 2.0 technology. This study offers both research and practical implications that can be considered by government and other key stakeholders to optimise public participation and information access through the adoption of open government initiatives.