E-government diffusion in Oman: a public sector employees' perspective

Purpose - Although significant investments have been made, to date only limited progress has been made in terms of realising fully functional and integrated e-government services in Oman. The purpose of this paper is to identify the most salient factors that are currently influencing the development and diffusion of e-government in Oman as perceived by government employees involved in e-government service delivery. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses a quantitative survey-based empirical study in three key public service agencies in Oman. Findings - This research reveals that improved accessibility, efficiency and availability of public services may lead to high levels of confidence among citizens in relation to e-government adoption in Oman. The study also finds that Omani information technology workforce capability has an indirect impact on citizens' trust and confidence in using e-services. Research limitations/implications - The research focuses on the views of government employees and therefore the results represent only the views of e-government service providers; these views may be influenced by their own experience, background and attitude towards online services. Practical implications - In order to realise the vision of implementing e-government in Oman, ten key factors are identified in this study that may serve as a starting point for decision makers and implementers. Decision makers and implementers can draw from best practices in the region and rest of the world in terms of addressing the ten factors discussed in the study. Originality/value - The study analyses the salient factors influencing e-government adoption in Oman from the service providers perspective and compares these with previously published literature on e-government adoption that take a citizen centric perspective. This research strategy offers a new and more balanced perspective of e-government adoption and diffusion in Oman.