research@hec - Issue #12 - (Page III)

While the issue of trust has often been considered with regard to online commerce, Shirish Srivastava points out that it has rarely been studied in the context of e-government1. Yet the government context is highly significant, because people (and businesses) have no alternative but to deal with governments; they cannot simply take their business to a competitor! What does trust in e-government depend on? How do observations about e-government translate to e-business? Srivastava and his research partners hypothesized that trust in both government and technology are critical to e-government success. But they discovered that the former is the most important factor. Trustworthiness and E-Government E-SYSTEM USE: A MATTER OF TRUST Srivastava says the biggest surprise of the study was to find that trust in technology is not as important to e-government users as trust in the government. 57% of information-seeking (“passive” e-government users) study participants reported that their trust in the government’s e-system stemmed directly from their trust in their government. Furthermore, while trust in technology was important to the 43% of “active” users (those with greater stakes and involvement in e-government transactions—e.g. online tax declarations, payments, etc.), it did not outrank their fundaKey Ideas • Trust in e-government depends more on trust in the government, than on trust in technology. Similarly, trust in e-business depends more on trust in the vendor than in its website technology. in and continued use of an e-system. and quick and easy means to fulfill administrative obligations. Government vs. Technology: • Website information quality is the most critical factor for fostering trust • E-government offers many business advantages, including transparency, M INFORMATION QUALITY: THE CORNERSTONE OF E-GOVERNMENT USE Srivastava and his colleagues examined the relative significance of information, service, and system quality on and the continued use of e-government systems. While service quality is important mental need to first trust the government2. High trust in the national government is a main reason Singapore has successfully built up a strong e-government system. This suggests that companies not worry about constantly upgrading their technological systems, but rather focus on creating trusting relationships with their customers. In Singapore, there is a government-run feedback unit where any citizen (person or organization) can voice opinions or make suggestions about national policies. The effectiveness of the system was demonstrated when the issue of casino legalization was presented to the public. Citizens were able to voice their opinions on the government website for a full year. As a result, they felt they had been heard, and their leaders were able to make a more informed decision. Microsoft makes use of a similar system, a “user’s forum” where people can report bugs and offer solutions. Both user and company benefit from this problemsolving system that reinforces customer/vendor trust and loyalty. Shirish Srivastava BIOGRAPHY Shirish Srivastava joined the HEC Paris faculty in 2008 as an assistant professor of operations management and information technology. He holds a PhD from the National University of Singapore, School of Business, where he was also a lecturer. His research interests include IT-enabled offshore sourcing, IS strategy, e-government, and e-business strategy. He has presented his work at conferences worldwide, been widely published, and received several awards. In 2009, he was named to the Marquis Who’s Who in the World. December 2009-January 2010 • research@hec III

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of research@hec - Issue #12

Cover & Contents
HEC Center for Research on Individuals and Organizations
Government vs. Technology: Trustworthiness and E-Government
Learning from Imitators to Increase Your Technological Advantage
Measuring the Performance of Households’ Investments

research@hec - Issue #12