Adoption of e-government services: The role of service quality dimensions and demographic variables

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a research model for understanding the relationship between service quality dimensions and demographic variables, and the willingness to use e-government services in Oman. Understanding the key determinants of electronic government (e-government) services is an important issue for enhancing the degree of use of these services by users. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected using Google forms from 248 e-government service users. The hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the research model. Findings – The results showed that service quality dimensions, namely, reliability, security, efficiency and responsiveness, were the key determinants that influenced the willingness to use e-government services. In addition to service quality dimensions, two demographic variables, namely, age and education level of respondents, showed a statistically significant relationship with the willingness to use e-government services. Practical implications – The findings of this study provide useful insights into the decision-makers of e-government services in Oman and similar emerging economies. At the same time, these findings can also be used by academicians and information systems researchers for further research. Originality/value – This study is probably the first attempt to model e-government services on the basis of service quality dimensions and demographic variables in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Moreover, this study will enrich the existing literature on the adoption of e-government services.