Impact of National Culture on E-Government Development: A Global Study

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to examine empirically whether national culture has an impact on e-government development in 84 countries around the world. Design/methodology/approach – We used statistic methods of correlation and multiple regression to analyze the two sets of indexes – E-government Development Index from the United Nations E-government Survey 2010 and Hofstede’s culture dimension index scores of 84 countries. Findings – We found that there is a correlation to a differing degree between e-government development and the five culture dimensions defined by Hofstede, although only individualism, power distance and long-term orientation are significantly correlated with e-government development. Practical implications – The findings of this study and most importantly, the strategies proposed based on the findings by this paper would help government policy and decision makers design and implement policies and strategies to improve e-government services and their overall development. Originality/value – The study not only provides empirical support and validates the findings of previous research but also extends the scope and updates the results of similar studies in the study field. KeywordsE-government, Cross-cultural studies, Information technology, Hofstede’s culture dimensions Paper type Research paper