A contextual framework for E-Government implementation in the SADC region: a case of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Presently e-Government has turned out to be every country’s endeavour though its potential is yet be achieved by many. Extant literature on e-Government emphasizes on the barriers to its implementation and the opportunities arising therefrom, favouring its adoption by the supply side. Additionally, though e-Government is complex in nature, the lack of rigour in e-Government studies contribute to its misconstrued status with particular mention of the developing countries. The dearth in research on its adoption by the demand side that considers its complexity and multidimensional nature, and the shared socio-technical peculiarity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, has contributed to the low acceptance in the region. The study, therefore, from the perspectives of the demand side, explored the meaning of e-Government in the SADC with emphasis on Zimbabwe to develop a framework to enhance its implementation and adoption of the phenomenon in the region. In consideration of the interplay of human and non-human actors in the phenomenon, a socio-technical perspective approach was adopted from the ontology of Actor-Network Theory, Innovation translation, and Technology Acceptance Model. To the mix, design thinking was added to knit together how the designers and the participants perceive the e-Government as a solution. Against this backdrop, a mixed method approach was used to balance the actuality with the user experiences. Eight participants were interviewed and the resulting qualitative data was analysed using ATLAS.ti 8. The results informed the development of the quantitative instrument. A total of three hundred and seventeen (317) questionnaires drawn from participants from Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia were considered for the quantitative analysis using SPSS and AMOS (a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) component of the SPSS package); the F. Hayes process tool; and the interaction plotter. The findings confirmed the success of e-Government implementation owes to the design-reality gap and that the notion of ‘gap’ is not merely the current realities such as technical capabilities, context, capacity, and situational factors but also about how Governments often mirror a technical and functional approach rather than a needs-based and design thinking approach. Consequently, a framework to facilitate the enhancement of e-Government implementation and adoption by various stakeholders. The supply side was recommended to tap into the local context in which the innovation should work.