Socioeconomic determinants of e-government adoption in selected districts of Tanzania

Abstract

E-government is changing the way governments deliver its information and services to citizens.  E-government offers a number of benefits if it is properly managed. Unfortunately, in many countries all the citizens do not experience government benefits. This study explored the impact of socioeconomic factors on e-government adoption, specifically addressing the digital divide in Tanzania. A survey was administered on 450 citizens, in order to examine the effect of demographic characteristics on e-government usage. The findings of this study revealed that income, age, occupation and education significantly helped to explain differences between the adopters and non-adopters of e-government. There was no significant gender difference between the adopters and non-adopters of e-government. It was concluded that it is important for governments to identify the demographic groups that are being excluded from e-government and then implement policies to facilitate their inclusion.