Wolfgang E. Ebbers

Electronic government: Rethinking channel management strategies

This article explores how an alternative multichannel management strategy can improve the way governments and citizens interact. Improvement is necessary because, based on empirical data from various sources, the conclusion can be drawn that there is a gap between the communication channels governments prefer and those that citizens prefer. Governments may be too much guided by rational arguments like the cost efficiency of channels while citizens may choose channels depending on, e.g., task characteristics, personal characteristics or situational factors. In order to close the existing gap and to increase understanding about how different channel types may be positioned in multichannel management, this article proposes an alternative multichannel management strategy that takes both the citizen’s and the government’s perspective into account. This strategy is based on differences in channel types and channel modes via which governments and citizens interact.

Explaining the acceptance and use of government Internet services: a multivariate analysis of 2006 survey data in the Netherlands

In this article, an attempt is made to explain the descriptive data of a large-scale representative survey of the use of government Internet services by the Dutch population in 2006 by means of a multidisciplinary model of technology acceptance and use that is applied to these services. Ultimately, the model is tested with structural equation modeling techniques. It appears to fit to the data after some modifications and exclusion of variables. The ultimate model could be used to explain the acceptance and use of government Internet services. The larger correlation model could serve as a framework for research of Internet services in general. The social–demographic and psychological factors usually investigated in new technology acceptance and usage research do not prove to be strong here. Instead, it is demonstrated that the availability of Internet services, the knowledge of this availability, the preference to use digital channels, and the ability and experience to do this are the primary conditions. The most general conclusion drawn is that the acceptance and use of government Internet services is a matter of learning, and that acceptance and use should be analyzed as a dynamic process. People will stick to their habits of using traditional channels unless they happen to learn a better alternative. Governments are recommended to add a demand-side orientation and benchmarking for the supply of government Internet services and to develop service tracking technologies monitoring usage and users.

Resistance and support to electronic government, building a model of innovation

In several countries forces that resist e-government innovations apparently override those that support them. A first step is taken in order to identify organizational processes of resistance and support to e-government innovations. A multi-disciplinary and non-linear innovation model is proposed that is inspired by the Minnesota Innovation Research Programs Innovation Pathway-model. The proposed model grasps the whole process of adoption and implementation of e-government services. Observable indicators of resistance and support on the complete innovation pathway of electronic government are derived from the proposed model. Future research will have to conceptually refine and empirically test both model and indicators.

Why e-government usage lags behind: explaining the gap between potential and actual usage of electronic public services in the netherlands

Most of the EU-15 countries illustrate a gap between potential usage and actual usage of electronic public services. Using a model of four successive kinds of access to digital technologies a number of explanations are sought. They are tested in the case of current Dutch electronic governmental service usage. Motivational access indicates that there is a part of the Dutch population that doesn’t have sufficient motivation for using computers and the Internet. It also appears that even in the Netherlands, a top country regarding Internet and broadband connections, physical access cannot be taken for granted. Insufficient digital skills produce serious problems as well. But the most striking facts are found in the context of usage access. Here we have observed a lack of user orientation in Dutch e-government services. It appears that the Dutch government doesn’t know what citizens want, how they use ICT en what the consequences for citizens are.

E-services for citizens: the Dutch usage case

In most countries, the maturity of eService delivery is measured by the supply of electronic service delivery. However, in many countries there is a gap between the supply and demand of eServices. We studied the actual use of eServices and the potential use of eServices in the Netherlands. We found a gap between the actual and potential use of eServices. Main explanations for this gap are the lack of knowledge about the availability of eServices, the media use characteristics and the social characteristics of the (non)users. Conclusions of our study are that the potential usage is high and second, simply putting services online is not enough. People have to get to know the services and need the skills to use them. Implications for future research are that we need a deeper understanding of factors that underlie the use of eServices, since supply alone will not lead to use of eServices.

Channel Perceptions and Usage: Beyond Media Richness Factors

In this paper, we asses how service channel perceptions affect channel choice and channel usage. Building on communication theories, such as the Media Richness Theory, we explore how different channel characteristics are perceived by citizens in a Dutch governmental service chain. The results of our study show that channel perceptions are variable along with channel usage (experience) and personal characteristics. This proves that the straightforward task-channel fit as suggested in some multi-channel management models is too simplistic. Besides the fact that theoretically some channels are better suited for particular types of services, multi-channel models should pay attention to the variances in channel perceptions. These insights are highly relevant for the design of the multi-channel and marketing strategies in order to seduce citizens to use the preferred service channels.

New Channels, New Possibilities: A Typology and Classification of Social Robots and Their Role in Multi-channel Public Service Delivery

In this contribution we discuss the characteristics of what we call the fourth generation of public sector service channels: social robots. Based on a review of relevant literature we discuss their characteristics and place into multi-channel models of service delivery. We argue that social robots is not one homogenous type of channels, but rather breaks down in different (sub)types of channels, each with different characteristics and possibilities to supplement and/or replace existing channels. Given the variety of channels, we foresee challenges in incorporating these new channels in multi-channel models of service delivery. This is especially relevant given the current lack of evaluations of such models, the broad range of channels available, and their different stages of deployment at governments around the world. Nevertheless, social robots offer an potentially very relevant addition to the service level landscape.

Facts and feelings: The role of rational and irrational factors in citizens' channel choices

In the past decades, the topic of how and why citizens choose certain service channels to interact with governments has received widespread attention as it is an important component of government service channel strategies. Most of the existing work, however, suffers from two problems. The first is an ongoing focus on a limited set of possible determinants, making it hard to assess which of these factors are most important. The second is the underlying assumption that citizens rationally assess their situation and based on the task at hand choose the best fitting service channel. In this article we challenge both assumptions. We review the work on channel choice and rationality in decision making. Based on this review we propose and empirically test a model combining different determinants and decision making processes. Our findings show that citizens sometimes choose channels rationally and sometimes irrationally. The task at hand, personal characteristics, and situation trigger which factors are most important. As a consequence, models focused on channel strategies should focus less on rational ‘matching’ and more on situational factors.