Managerial Capacity and Digital Government in the States: Examining the Link Between Self-Efficacy and Perceived Impacts of IT in Public Organizations

This paper examines the linkage between the self-efficacy of public managers to employ information technology (IT) and managerial perceptions of IT effects on the operations of public organizations. A conceptual model posits that computer self-efficacy is influenced by several factors such as organizational support, IT usage within the organization, and experiential knowledge. Furthermore, computer self-efficacy simultaneously affects managerial perceptions of IT impacts on organizational processes. Data from a national study of state program managers is employed to test five hypotheses regarding computer self-efficacy. Two Stage Least Squares is then used to estimate the effect of computer self-efficacy on perceptions of IT impacts. Results indicate that the level of computer self-efficacy is influenced by the availability of IT training and the extent of IT usage within the organization. Computer selfefficacy is also shown to be associated with more positive perceptions of IT effects within public organizations.