THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

GAZI UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF POLITICS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES IN e-GOVERNMENT APPLICATIONS:

TURKISH AND ETHIOPIAN CASES

A THESIS FOR THE AWARD OF PhD IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

PhD Candidate: Supervisor:

Ali Hussien Yimer Prof. Dr. Tevfik ERDEM

From 2015 to 20__

Ankara
DEDICATION…………………………………….
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………….
PREFACE …………………………………….
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………….
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………….
LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………….
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………….
ABSTRACT…………………………………….

CHAPTER – 1
INTRODUCTION ……………………………………

1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND …………………………………………………

1.2 CONCEPT OF ELECTRONIC
1.3 CONCEPT OF GOVERNMENT …………………………………………………
1.4 E-GOVERNANCE…………………………………………………
1.4.1 GOVERNANCE…………………………………………………
1.4.2 METAGOVERNANCE…………………………………………………
1.5 CATEGORIES OF E-GOVERNANCE …………………………………………………
1.6 CATEGORIES OF E-GOVERNANCE …………………………………………………
1.7 PROBLEM STATEMENT …………………………………………………
1.8 RESEARCH MOTIVATIONS…………………………………………………
1.9 WHY TURKEY? …………………………………………………
1.10 WHY ETHIOPIA? …………………………………………………
1.11 REASON FOR SELECTING DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES…………………………

1.12 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH…………………………………………………

1.13 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………

1.14 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES …………………………………………………

1.15 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY …………………………………………………

CHAPTER - 2
 EMPIRICAL SETTING -1: THE CONTEXT OF ETHIOPIA

2.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………
2.2 GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE…………………………………………………
2.2.1 GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE…………………………………………………
2.2.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE…………………………………………………
2.3 SOCIO-HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT…………………………………………………
2.3.1 ECONOMIC INDICATORS
2.3.2 HEALTH AND EDUCATION INDICATORS…………………………………………………
2.4 ICTS IN ETHIOPIA…………………………………………………
2.4.1 COVERAGE OF ICT SERVICES IN ETHIOPIA…………………………………………………
2.4.2 ICTS AND RELATED HUMAN RESOURCES…………………………………………………
2.4.3 ICT POLICY AND STRATEGIES…………………………………………………
2.5 E-GOVERNMENT IN ETHIOPIA…………………………………………………
2.6 SUMMARY…………………………………………………

CHAPTER - 3
EMPIRICAL SETTING - 2 TURKEY

3.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………
3.2 GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE…………………………………………………
3.2.1 GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE…………………………………………………
3.2.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE…………………………………………………
3.3 SOCIO-HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT…………………………………………………
3.3.1 ECONOMIC INDICATORS…………………………………………………
3.3.2 HEALTH AND EDUCATION INDICATORS…………………………………………………
3.4 ICTS IN ETHIOPIA…………………………………………………
3.4.1 COVERAGE OF ICT SERVICES IN ETHIOPIA…………………………………………………
3.4.2 ICTS AND RELATED HUMAN RESOURCES…………………………………………………
3.4.3 ICT POLICY AND STRATEGIES…………………………………………………
3.5 E-GOVERNMENT IN ETHIOPIA…………………………………………………
3.6 SUMMARY…………………………………………………

CHAPTER - 4
LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

4.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………
4.2 E-GOVERNMENT IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES: KOREAS CASE …………………………………………………
4.3 E-GOVERNMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES…………………………………………………
4.4 CHALLENGES OF PRACTICING E-GOVERNMENT …………………………………………………
4.5 E-GOVERNMENT IN SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES:SOUTH AFRICA AND MOZAMBIQUE
CASES………………………
4.6 E-GOVERNMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST…………………………………………………
4.7 E-GOVERNMENT IN TURKEY: BEST PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES ………………
4.8 WORLD E-GOVERNMENT RANKING …………………………………………………
4.9 E-GOVERNMENT AND DEVELOPMENT …………………………………………………
4.9.1 DEVELOPMENT AND THE DOMINANT ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK: A HISTORICAL
OVERVIEW……………
4.9.2 SEN’S CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT: THE CAPABILITY APPROACH……………………………………
4.9.3 KEY CONCEPTS OF THE CAPABILITY APPROACH…………………………………………………
4.9.4 STRENGTHS AND CRITICISMS OF THE CAPABILITY APPROACH………………
4.10 THE E-GOVERNMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT RELATION: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON COMMON
DISCUSSIONS
4.11 PREVIOUS APPLICATION OF THE CAPABILITY APPROACH IN IS RESEARCH…
4.12 PROPOSED BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE E-GOVERNMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
4.13 E-GOVERNMENT AS SOCIO-TECHNICAL NETWORK LITERACY…………………………………………
4.14 LEARNING INTER-PROJECTS…………………………………………………
4.15 STRUCTURES – FORMULATED RULES…………………………………………………
4.16 PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK. …………………………………………………

CHAPTER - 5
RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES

5.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………
5.2 EPISTEMOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE…………………………………………………
5.3 METHODOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE…………………………………………………
5.4 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS…………………………………………………
5.5 DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES…………………………………………………
5.6 MODES OF DATA ANALYSIS…………………………………………………
5.7 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT…………………………………………………
5.8 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN…………………………………………………
5.9 QUESTIONNAIRE AND SCALE VALIDATION…………………………………………………
5.10 ETHICAL CONSIDERATION…………………………………………………

CHAPTER - 6
 RESEARCH FINDINGS
6.5 SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS…………………………………………………
6.6 LINKING THE CAPABILITY APPROACH AND THE RESEARCH FINDINGS…………………………………

CHAPTER - 7
LESSONS , CONTRIBUTIONS , CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………
7.2 LESSONS TAKEN FROM TURKISH E-GOVERNMENT
APPLICATIONS…………………………………
7.3 CONTRIBUTIONS …………………………………………………
7.4 . THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTIONS…………………………………………………
7.5 PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTIONS…………………………………………………
7.6 CONCLUSION …………………………………………………
7.7 RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………………

REFERENCES…………………………………………………

APPENDIXES…………………………………………………

CHAPTER - 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Background

E-Governance means applying of information technology (IT) to facilitate government services

provided to citizens. Technology is changing rapidly. It is essential for governments to use the IT
services effectively to provide accurate and fair services to citizens. Technology makes the world like a
single hand; everything is very near and quick. Globalization concept came from progression of
technology. Today, world population is almost living together. Information distributes within a fraction
of seconds all over the world. That is why huge projects with huge amounts money are implemented.
E-Government provides efficiency, accuracy, perfection, transparency, accountability, time saving and
 quick services. This in part makes citizens participate in national decision-making and policy designing
activities. Information communication technology (ICT) is very important in sharing information from
government to its people. in other words ICT provides governments facilities to inform their societies
formulated policies with least costs (time, money and energy). Since e-Government is providing
services from governmental sectors to citizens online, information communication technology is highly
considered.

1.2 Concept of electronic

1.3 Concept of Government

A concept is a general idea of something usually expressed in single word or short phrase (Heywood,
2015, p. 6). It does not express a specific idea. It talks about a set of ideas of something. Concept
formation is an essential step in the process of reasoning in all parts of our lives. Concepts help human
being to think, criticize, argue, explain and analyze. Roughly perceiving of the external world does not
improve our knowledge about it. In order to make sense of the world we must impose meaning upon
it. To do so, we must precisely think to construct basic concepts. There are three difficulties which
encounter political concepts. These problems are always influencing nation. These difficulties are:-

a. The first problem is political concepts are strongly related to the politicians’ moral, philosophical,
ideological, and attitudinal point of views. Politicians may advance concepts in the way they
protect their interests. Accordingly political values (liberty, justice, freedom, human rights,
equality and toleration) are affected by leaders. Concepts can be categorized as normative and
descriptive.
Concepts like power, authority, order and law can be included in descriptive concepts. These concepts
may be proved value-free or neutral. But facts are either true or false. In politics, values and facts
connected each other. More over descriptive concepts usually loaded with moral and ideological
implications. In case of authority, we can see that some politicians who possess it influence to
impose their interests on their people. This is because authority is ‘the right to influence the
behavior of others’. No one is neural about authority.
Conservatives for instance usually emphasize the importance of order and discipline by tending to
authority as rightful and healthy. On the contrary, anarchists believe that authority is by nature
oppressive. They try to justify by arguing all systems of rule to be intrinsically undesirable
(Heywood, 2015).
b. The difficulty is that political concepts are always subjected of intellectuals and ideology
formulators. As a result, political values like power, freedom, right and justice are interpreted
accordingly. That is why some ideologists run their own ideas regardless of historical values of
nations in the name of ‘democracy’, ‘reformation’, ‘civilization’, ‘good governance’.
c. The third problem is the fetishism nature of political concepts. They are treated as though they
have a concrete existence separate from. Rough words are used as things rather instead of being
 devices to understand things (Heywood, 2015). Concepts such as ‘democracy’, ‘human rights’
freedom, capitalism’ are thus more rounded and coherent than the unshapely realities they seek
to describe.
For Weber, ‘authority’ and ‘bureaucracy’ may be considered as ideal types at the time these can be
rejected by anarchists. The importance of recognizing particular concepts as ideal types is that it
underlines the fact that concepts are only analytical tools. For this reason, it is better to think of
concepts or ideal types not as being ‘true’ or ‘false’, but merely as more or less ‘useful’
(Heywood, 2015).

According to Aristotle, "The state comes into existence originating in the bare needs of life and
continuing in existence for the sake of good life" (Kapur, 1997, p. 76). According to James
Ganrner (Garner, 1935), a state contains four essential elements: people, territory, sovereignty
and government. The term ‘people’ or ‘nation’ refers to inhabitants of a state with no
restriction of their numbers. The term ‘territory’ refers to a fixed portion of the Earth inhabited
by people of a state (Garner, 1935).
The term ‘sovereignty’ refers to a supreme and uncontrollable power inherent in a state.
‘Government’ refers to the instrument that provides mechanisms in determining, formulating,
and implementing policies of a state (Garner, 1935). ‘Government is the means through which
the authority of the state is brought into operation. In making and implementing state policy,
government is ‘the brain’ of the state, and it perpetuates the state’s existence (Andrew, 2002,
p. 88).’ Aristotle classified six forms of government regarding to ruling and benefiting. The
diagram billow shows these forms.

WHO RULES?

WHO BENEFITS?

Fig. 1 Aristotle’s six forms of government. Source: Andrew Heywood politics (Andrew, 2002)

Government of a state has strong relationships with its citizens. These ideal relationships can be
represented diagrammatically know as David Easton’s model of political system.
 OUTPU
TS
Environment

People Inputs Inputs

Gate Government
keepers

Environment

OUTPU
TS
Fig. 2 David Easton’s model of political system Source: Andrew Heywood politics (Andrew, 2002)

Inputs of the political system above imply forwarded supports(ways of public contribution to the
political system by paying taxes, forwarding compliances, and willing in participating in public decision
making processes) and demands( pressures to for good life standards, better employment prospects,
protections of minority and individual rights) from the people to the government.

Outputs on the other hand stand for the decision and action of government including the policy
designing, the passing of laws, the imposition of taxes, and the allocation of public funds. Gate
keepers such as interest groups and political parties regulate the political system, and the success of
government itself in converting inputs into outputs (Andrew, 2002).

1.4 Concept of Government

The term 'government' touches most aspects of our lives. It surrounds many parts of managing a
country. Its roles range from the very form of government, strategic management, to day to day
operations. In the technology age, the term takes the prefix “e” to mean “electronic”. As a result, it
becomes “electronic government” or in short “e-government”. Today, the combined word “e-
government” is used in governing activities and applications.
The term e-Government coined about 25 years ago after the implementation of e-commerce to be
used in public sectors like e-commerce (Buatnagar, 2009). Governments all over the world are in
pursuit of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-based solutions for facilitating good
governance. The phenomenon is popularly known as e-governance or e-government as per varying
country contexts (P.K.Suri & Sushi, 2017).

E-government is an instrument used to deliver advanced national productivity and professional support
systems. It assists to deliver various governmental services through qualified departments, and
agencies. E-government is used to process information, solve service delivery problems, develop new
services, and create new knowledge. The need to exploit e-government capabilities to forward national
services and enhance organizational knowledge is one of the driving points (Al-Hakim, 2007).

Economically developed countries show significant advancement of e-Government systems. The

world is in the technology age when everything is manipulated electronically. All aspects of live are
tied by electronic systems. E-government assists governments to jump steps towards advancement
thereby national level advances. If someone thinks that there can be simplified human life without
information communication technology (ICT), he/she may be living outside the globe- which is
impossible.

E-Government is used by governments to be able to transform more accessible, effective and

accountable decision-activities which are practiced by citizens (Al-Hakim, 2007).

The need of information communication technology generally, e-government specifically, is huge in

exploited countries- the so called developing countries. These countries are rich in natural resources
by nature. The exploiting countries- the so called developed countries were not developed naturally.
They straggled towards development by utilizing natural resources which are either exploited by war
from other geographical areas or from their own countries. The struggle is becoming more fruitful
through advancement of technology.

Governments of “developing” countries should adopt e-government systems in their governing

systems. By doing so, they can serve their citizens and can compete the “developed” countries. To do
so, there must be clear understanding of e-government, studying opportunities and challenges,
putting clear strategy of e-government application, and maintaining e-government systems at any
stage to assure continual benefits of this system.

Authors of e-government have definitions according to their attitudes. Organizations show e-

government definitions to make it clear for reader or implementers.

Obi, mentioning United States, European Union, World Bank, Japan and Chile, puts the following
definition of e-government in his book ‘e-governance’ (Obi, 2007, pp. 27-29):
 1. E-government is defined as the usage of ICT in order to improve the service and information given
to citizens, to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of public management and to significantly
increase the transparency in the public sector, and citizen’s participation. (Chile).
2. E-Government” as “…the use of all ICTs by government to provide information and services to
citizens. It is a broader concept than in cases where it refers to only G-2-G networking.
3. E-Gov does not mean putting scores of government forms on the Internet. It is about using
technology to its fullest to provide services and information that is centered on citizen groups.
(United States)
4. An electronic government is a means to comprehensively reform public administration. Under an
electronic government, administrative transactions among government offices or between
governments and citizens/businesses that have been conducted on a document and/or meeting
basis will be made available online, and information will be shared and utilized instantly across
various central and local government offices through information networks. (…) Such an electronic
government will enable everyone to utilize all services provided by central and local governments
without constraints of time and location, realize more comfortable and convenient life for
everyone, and revitalize business activities. (Japan)
5. E-government is the use of information and communication technologies in public
administrations- combined with organizational change and new skills - to improve public services
and democratic processes and to strengthen support to public policies. (European Union)

6. E-government is a way for public administrations to become: more open and transparent, and to
reinforce democratic participation; more service-oriented, providing personalized and inclusive
services to each citizen; productive, delivering maximum value for taxpayers' money.

7. E-government is the use by government agencies of information technologies (…) that have the
ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.(…)
Analogous to e-commerce, which allows businesses to transact with each other more efficiently
(B2B) and brings customers closer to businesses (B2C),e-government aims to make the interaction
between government and citizens (G2C),government and business enterprises (G2B), and inter-
agency relationships (G2G) more friendly, convenient, transparent, and inexpensive.”(World Bank)

Many countries have been working in bringing information and communication technologies (ICTs) for
many years to facilitate their functions. At the beginning, ICT applications were used to build
management information system to plan and motivate managerial activities. For this matter, so
many projects were designed and most of them were not successful. Failures were the main
observed than successes. Benefiting from ICT was quite difficult but later on internet was
developed. The e-mail and e-commerce were used by governments to deliver information to their
citizens. The test of internet in distance education, advocacy and fostering participation initiated
 users to implement ICT in investment activities. Form the term e-commerce, a new term known as
e-Government was begun to indicate the use of the internet in governmental activities.

1.5 e-governance
1.5.1 GOVERNANCE

It is so difficult to define governance in a single definition because the term consists of so many
controversial arguments. It is a problematic word. It is hardly possible to give a single description to
define the term because the concept is complex and controversial. Writers do not have the same
concept regarding to its definition. Some of them see it as a matter which related to financial
accountability and administrative efficiency where some others consider it as a more broadly related
concept to democracy, human-right and participation of citizens in public decisions (Sharma, 2004).
Given that governance is largely the domain of nation-states,

“Governance describes how social activity is rule-bound and socially regulated” (Bevir, 2007, p. 273).

Governance includes nation-wide regulating mechanisms. This makes it an effective functioning

regulation system which devoid of formal authority, in afield of activity. This shows that governance is
provided not only by nation-state but also by non-governmental organizations, civil societies, supra
national organizations and citizens as a whole (Bevir, 2007) by making integration as much as possible.
Governance need participation of the whole people in a governed country because it is huge
responsibility that cannot be, in fact, provided by a state-government.

Sovereignty issues are realized under governance where the whole nation contributes. If so, cooperation
is realized so as to empower governing system. As a result governing system enhances its
responsibilities in the way citizens reach advanced life-standard.

Governance mechanisms that manipulated only by only authority of a state are not vital. Governance
literatures do not recognize such mechanisms because responsibility-sharing between government and
civil society cannot be realized in this way. There must be shifting negotiation of responsibilities
between the state and citizens (Bevir, 2007).

As Bevir mentions, Governance system is differentiated, networked, and disaggregated at the national, regional,
and global levels. Combination of these descriptions provides a sound choice to sovereignty ideas to
international societies. In order to solve political, economical, cultural and social problems, individuals of a
society organize themselves in groups of interdependent networks. This enables them to form a state of
governance which represents that society to solve common problems, provide qualified, accountable, and
effective services. On the other hand society of particular governance provides loyalty for its government in the
way their national interests can be realized.
 1.5.2 METAGOVERNANCE

The prefix “meta” means “over” over and beyond. The shortest definition of meta-government is the
governance of governance. In other words meta-governance tries to provide or create some
coherence out of much decentered policy processes. It does not imply a return to supper power of
governing in a state. There are guidelines and formal rules used to govern a state. Many political
leaders try to reassert the primacy of politics through meta-governance (Badie, 2011). Meta-
governance is the need of public sectors to have some control over devolved and decentralized
decision-making bodies.

1.6 E-GOVERNANCE

E-governance is the societal synthesis of politics, policies, and programs (Obi, 2007). According to
UNESCO, the use of information and communication technologies by public sector with the aim of
improving information and service delivered by governments, by which citizen are encouraged to
participate in the decision-making process and making government more accountable, transparent
and effective is known as e-governance. In the same way, the Council of Europe defines it as the use
of information technology to raise the quality of the services governments deliver to citizens and
businesses (Obi, 2007).

1.7 Categories of e-Governance

1.8 Problem statement of the research

We live in the world of very fast global information exchanging society. No choice rather than full and
effective participation of this society in critical country issues. There is no room for governments to
look at quick participation of societies in critical issues. Globally, information exchange makes every
information reach anywhere within a short period of time. This helps world society react with any
issue everywhere on the globe.

Citizens must be given priority in being informed about country issues. This, in turn, helps citizens to
be active participants in their social system. In a very political and narrow sense, social self
organization depends on cooperation between citizens and governments, citizens’ participation in
national issues, self-determination and grassroots democracy (Fuchs, 2008). Information and
communication technologies (ICTs) contribute the world society integrate in the global economy and
politics. Moreover, People exchange knowledge by utilizing (ICTs) (Eason, 2005).
It is obvious that ICTs play very high role in improving living standards and provides opportunities for
individuals, communities and governments. Regardless of the fast expansion of information
revolution, many countries have not provided yet their societies ICTs. This weakness retarded their
developments; they could not compete global society which has already utilized information and
communication technologies in raising its life-standard.

At present, many countries in the globe utilize information and communication technologies (ICTs).
They communicate with their citizens with least cost (energy, time and money). They share needed
information to everyone anywhere. Moreover, using information and communication is considered as
one of the measurements of progressed life-standard.

Government information and services reach directly to citizens and business groups through improved
information and information technologies. This in turn plays important roles in effective and efficient
performance of governmental sectors at the same time citizens save time, money and energy. As a
result well organized activities will be done in all sectors. Social, political, economical and cultural
innovations will be fast and effective.

The researcher hopes that this study will contribute to these innovations in Ethiopia. This country is in
a strong need of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in all sectors. This research, I
think, will add some values at least by indicating directions of innovating ICTs. It contributes in
revealing drivers and challenges of information and communication technologies in Ethiopia.

1.9 RESEARCH MOTIVATIONS

In this section, there will be a justification of why this specific topic is chosen by the researcher and
why case study focuses of Turkey and Ethiopia. Why this e-Government topic is selected? In the field
of information system, e-Government is becoming of the research fields. We are living in a rapidly
progressing technology world. E-Government is being considered as one part of agenda many
governments.

Moreover, it takes attentions of technologist, higher educational institutions, politicians and traders
round the globe. Ethiopia has planned to implement e-Government system in 2015
(PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2010). This plan was to improve the government services to Ethiopians.
Ethiopia is now going forward to be at least the middle stage of development. This e-Government
system aids this development.

The more Ethiopia is developed technologically, the more Ethiopians will get better services. Ethiopian
government can be able to make fast relationships with citizens, stakeholders, business sectors by e-
Government system. Ethiopia is growing politically, socially, and economically. This progression, if
aided by e-Government system, Ethiopians’ life-standard improves.
No doubt that technology is becoming one of the measurements of development. Ethiopia, as a
developing country, is in strong need of information system. E-Government can change the style of
services to citizens. By doing so, every aspect of life can be improved. This is the intention of the
researcher to choose this topic. Since talking about drivers and challenges of applying e-Government
supports Ethiopian government to take care of many aspects of e-Government, the topic is structured
as “a comparative study on drivers and challenges in e-Government application: Turkish and
Ethiopian cases.”

1.10 WHY TURKEY?

Today, Turkey becomes more developed country. It has been recording significant developmental
activities. E-Government is widely used by Turkish government (Organisation for economic co-
operation and development, 2006). Taking this country as model for e-Government helps Ethiopia to
design strategically application of information technology in government services. The researcher
believes that Turkey is one of the countries which show developmental activities in all directions.
Hence taking e-Government system application of Turkey helps Ethiopia in implementing its e-
Government system. Turkey shows significant all-directional changes (Onis & Senses, 2009).

1.11 WHY ETHIOPIA?

1.12 REASON FOR SELECTING DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

E-Government is a powerful assistant of economic and social growth. That is why lots of academic
conferences and initiations are held regarding to e-government. On the contrary, developing
countries does not show ambitious struggle to implement e-government systems. They do not benefit
from e-government initiation project because of problems and challenges they face (Ndou, 2004)In
order to benefit from e-government system, there should be clear idea about driving and challenging
issues. For citizens, to benefit from online delivery of information and needed services, all
opportunities and Problems that affect e-government implementation must be studied systematically.

Appropriate action plans should be put to avoid problems before they result in obstacles.
Identification of effective strategies of how to bread goals of using e-government is important. The
benefits, challenges, and governmental requirements of implementing e-government projects must
be clearly studied one-by-one to understand e-government contexts and characteristics (Saeed,
Ramayah, & Mahmood, 2017).

There may be many political, social, economical, and cultural problems that resist implementation of
information system which e-Government is part of it. Despite of huge advantages of e-government,
many governments of developing countries are not working seriously to realize its benefits for their
citizens. This, in turn, needs a broad and systematic study.

Perhaps, this study may put some indictors why this happens. What so ever, understanding needs
and barriers of applying of e-government helps governments take care of obstacles and advantages
about e-Government. That is why this topic includes these two factors.

1.13 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH

The main objectives of this study are:

1. The main purpose of this thesis is to indicate the key derivers and challenges that affect utility of
e-Governance in the public sectors in Ethiopia.
2. To propose a systematic approach of explaining initiators and challenges that could lead to
succession or familiarity of e-Government services implementation in Ethiopia.
3. To propose guidelines for e-Government succession in Ethiopia by adopting experiences from
Turkish implementation of E-government.
4. To understand the challenges, barriers and opportunities hindering or supporting the adoption of
e-government in Ethiopia first, then in the developing countries next.
5. To propose a theoretical framework how to use e-Government system in Ethiopia.
6. To propose a conceptual framework that portrays the key drivers and barriers that affect the
development of e-government initiative in Ethiopia.
7. To recommend strategies to e-government leaders in Ethiopia on how to overcome and manage
the encountered forces in order to reduce the possibility of the initiative failure and enhance the
chance of its success.
8. To determine the factors affecting citizen adoption of e-government from user and managerial
perspectives.

1.14 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

As a general methodology, the researcher uses a mixed method of both quantitative and qualitative. He
uses quantitative method so as to describe, infer, and solve some problems related to the topic using
numbers if necessary. This is because the research emphasizes on the collection of numerical data, the
summary of those data and the drawing of inferences from the data (Herbst & Coldwell, 2004).

He uses qualitative method to include attitudes, emotions, and perceives of people about e-Government
application in Ethiopia. He uses qualitative method if in case an incident does not allow him to collect
reliable data (Herbst & Coldwell, 2004). Under these general methods, he will conduct surveying
method. He reveals as much as possible detailed descriptions of specific situation(s) of derivers and
challenges of e-Government application using interviews, observations, and document review. How
does Ethiopian government implement e-government? What challenges do government sectors and
people face in applying e-government? What are people’s perceptions towards e-Government?
 1.15 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

This study will study drivers and challenges of e-Governments from both citizens and government’s
perspectives. Studying these two categories will give vital information about e-Government situation in
Ethiopia for future progression. For this reason the study consists of the following hypothesis which are
used to measure drivers and challenges of applying e-Government in Ethiopia.

This study will compare and contrast these drivers and challenges in e-government application both in
Ethiopia and Turkey. This make the researcher very eager that he will adopt experiences from Turkey,
which has already utilized information and communication technologies, to apply in Ethiopia in order
to contribute in improving life-standards.

H10: Citizens’ information and communication experience has no significant influence on e-

Government application.

H1: Citizens’ information and communication experience has significant influence on e-Government
application.

H20: Computer Self Efficacy of e-Government service has no negative influence on intention to use the
e-Government system.

H2: Computer Self Efficacy of e-Government service has negative influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H30: Website Quality of e-Government service has no positive influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H3: Website Quality of e-Government service has positive influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H40: Personalization of e-Government service has no positive influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H4: Personalization of e-Government service has positive influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H50: Perceived risk of e-Government service has no negative influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H5: Perceived risk of e-Government service has negative influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.
H60: Computer Anxiety of e-Government service has no negative influence citizen’s continuance
intention to use the e-Government system.

H6: Computer Anxiety of e-Government service has negative influence citizen’s continuance intention
to use the e-Government system.

H70: Local Language barrier of e-Government service has no positive influence on intention to use the
e-Government system.

H7: Local Language barrier of e-Government service has positive influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H80: There is no significant difference between genders in predicting the overall intention to use the e-
Government system.

H8: There is significant difference between genders in predicting the overall intention to use the e-
Government system.

H90: There is no significant difference across different age categories of citizens’ in predicting the
overall intention to use the e-Government system.

H9: There is significant difference across different age categories of citizens’ in predicting the overall
intention to use the e-Government system.

H100: There is no significant difference in income category of citizens’ in predicting the overall
intention to use the e-Government system.

H10: There is significant difference in income category of citizens’ in predicting the overall intention to
use the e-Government system.

H110: There is no significant difference in education category of citizens’ in predicting the overall
intention to use the e-Government system.

H11: There is significant difference in education category of citizens’ in predicting the overall intention
to use the e-Government system.

H120: Performance Expectancy of e-Government service has no significant influence on intention to

use the e-Government system.
H12: Performance Expectancy of e-Government service has significant influence on intention to use
the e-Government system.

H130: Job Fit of e-Government service has no significant influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.
H13: Job Fit of e-Government service has significant influence on intention to use the e-Government
system.

H140: Facilitating Conditions of internet service has no significant influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

H14: Facilitating Conditions of internet service has significant influence on intention to use the e-
Government system.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study, I think, will help Ethiopian research institutions and academicians to study in Ethiopian e-
government areas. This research may contribute in providing information for students who want to study in
e-Government in Ethiopia. the same is true for international researchers and research institutions. Politicians
may get important information in their processes of decision making.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Like any study that deals with new technology, this research has also encountered with some
limitations. E-Government includes technical and non-technical aspects . But this study does not include
details of system designing aspects. The survey is conducted on limited respondents. This can affect the
conclusion. Requirement of the three types of costs (money, energy and time) of the study is another
challenge to fully study the topic areas as needed. It is impossible to conduct in all public services of
case study countries due to increasing cost. So, it follows the traditional technique which uses sampling
method. But a convenience sampling method does not represent the population. Attitudes of users of e-
Government system may vary because respondents are different in terms of age, income level, gender,
education, and environment etc. Moreover, the researcher uses survey data collection method by using
questionnaire. This type of data collection method has limitations of respondent rate (Cooper &
Schindler, 2003). People do not want to respond to complex questions which are very important for
researcher. Some respondents do take time to read fill questionnaires. These limitations affect the depth
of the study. The researcher tries his best to approximate to realities.