E-Government for Social and Economic Development: Asymmetric Information, Institutionalization and Diffusion Challenges

Abstract

This chapter posits that e-Government constitutes a critical context for social and economic development in both developed and developing countries. In addition to leveraging economic development, e-Government also helps to stream line government services to more social based values of inclusion and citizens’ participation, accessibility and power relationship ratios. It is clear from literature that e-Government is not a new phenomenon in most developed countries and some developing countries in Asia and Africa. These countries have already announced their Open Government Initiatives and data portals. However, e-Government leads to greater information asymmetry among citizens and government. There is also institutionalization and diffusion asymmetry of the practice of the current Openness in e-Government models within developing countries in particular. The study presented in this chapter draws on organizational decision-making research and adopts an explorative research approach that is informed by grounded theory. The findings of the research are that the information asymmetry between citizens and government; asymmetry in institutionalization, and diffusion within developed and developing countries are widely attributed to socio-economic and political variations in developed and developing countries. Unless these differences are skillfully identified and accommodated as such into the development and use models, openness in e-Government efforts would not help achieve the social and economic development goals by developing countries in particular.