Diffusion of e-government in Nigeria : a qualitative study of culture and gender

Abstract

E-government failure is prevalent in developing countries, and of the varying reasons for this, adoption of online products and services by citizens is one strong factor. Using this reasoning, this research-in-progress paper explains how a qualitative approach involving interviews and observations as well as referring to archival documents was used to investigate the aim: to investigate the relationships between culture and e-Government awareness channels within subcultures (ethnic groups) of Nigeria, a developing country striving to adopt e-Government. This research will also aim to examine gender influences within the subcultures when considering an e-Government awareness channel in Nigeria. The conceptual analysis is framed by Rogers’ (2003) diffusion theory, Hofstede’s and Hofstede’s (2005) cultural theory and Morgan et al’s (2004) gender analysis framework. This research offers a rich and deep understanding of the impact of culture and gender upon the diffusion of e-government within Nigeria’s indigenous ethnic groups. Further, this research applies aspects of diffusion, culture and gender in the context of a developing country. For industry, this research offers an understanding of the various cultural and gender aspects that can affect the diffusion of an innovation within ethnic groups of Nigeria. For policymakers, this research offers a snapshot of some contexts in Nigeria and offers insights unique to e-government.