Determinants and impact of e-government and ebusiness development: A global perspective

Abstract

Most past studies have analyzed the development and impact of e-Government and e-Business in a nation separately from each other. In contrast to these studies, we analyze the development and impact of e-Government and e-Business together from a global perspective. Using secondary data from 113 countries and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) and IT impact literature as the guiding theoretical lenses, we examine the facilitators of e-Government and e- Business development, the relationship between e-Government and e-Business, and their impact on national business competitiveness. Our research highlights the importance of national ICT infrastructure for the development of both e-Government and e-Business. The quality of national human capital emerges as an important factor for the development of e-Government but not for e- Business, whereas national environment (institutional and macro-economic) appears to be an important facilitator for e-Business but not for e-Government. Our analysis reveals the significant role played by e-Business in enhancing the business competitiveness of nations. Further, analysis brings forth the important role of e-Business for realizing the benefits of e-Government in improving national business competitiveness. Through this research, we highlight the importance of considering e-Government and e-Business together rather than analyzing them in silos. We make some important contributions and offer implications for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.