Technology adoption of e-government from the perspective of citizens - Article Example

Various governments across the globe have initiated e-government programs with a view to offer speedier and convenient ways for their citizens to access information regarding government services. However, in order for e-governance to work successfully and effectively, as planned, it entails a comprehensive study of factors which may influence its use. Trust – is one such factor which plays a key role in e-commerce, and more specifically e-government, adoption since trust between the government and the citizens is inevitable for this technology to function effectively (Bhattacherjee 2002; Carter and Belanger 2005; McKnight et al.

2002; Pavlou 2003; Warkentin et al. 2002). Hence, if the level of trust displayed by citizens on the government is high, it will lead to high level of involvement in e-government as well. However, trust in e-government or any sort of web-institution for that matter, is greatly influenced by ‘disposition to trust’ since individuals who trust others will generally trust institutions involving people (McKnight et al., 2004). When viewed, from the e-government perspective, the disposition to trust has invariably resulted in an increased level of trust in e-government by the citizens (McKnight et al., 2004) In order to effectively apply any given technology and ensure its widespread acceptance, its antecedents must be taken into consideration.

With respect to technology; privacy concerns assumes relatively higher significance and hence needs to be probed thoroughly to ensure wider acceptance. The level of privacy afforded by the media used, across all age groups is directly related to its usage since privacy risks rank highly on the users concerns list (Jacko, 2009). Parents are highly concerned about the privacy protection tools provided to ensure the safety of information accessed by their children. Various studies conducted so far, have reaffirmed the role of privacy in influencing the technology usage. This is