E-governance using mobile applications: A case study of India during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Healthcare initiatives backed by electronic-governance (e-governance) principles have contributed well to the extant literature and practice. Governments and healthcare systems across the world were taken aback by the swamping impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they reacted quickly by developing contact-tracing mobile applications (apps) for creating awareness, providing information about various healthcare initiatives, and helping citizens to use the required information in case of emergency. The major challenge was to develop such e-governance interventions in a short time and ensure their quick adoption among the masses. Hence, it is worthwhile to investigate the factors leading to the adoption of such e-governance initiatives, especially in the context of a widespread pandemic situation. The present study is an attempt to analyze the factors driving the intention to use contact tracing mobile apps launched by governments globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have conducted the study in the context of India, where the government launched a community-driven contact tracing mobile app for its citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. The study adopted an empirical approach to test how epistemic value, convenience value, conditional value, functional value, and privacy concerns influenced the intention to use this approach. The study found that intention to use such an app was positively influenced by functional value, which in turn was positively influenced by convenience and conditional values. It suggests that the convenience of using the app, perceived seriousness of the pandemic (i.e., conditional value), and utilitarian benefits (i.e., functional value) of the contact-tracing mobile app enhanced its acceptance. However, its novelty (i.e., epistemic value) and privacy concerns are not significant predictors of intention to use. The study recommends that the government should place more emphasis on improving the functional value which is driven by convenience and context-specific features to push the use of an e-governance initiative during the crisis.

E-government, political system and COVID-19 in Africa: lessons for future disruptive shocks

“…To combat COVID-19, several countries launched a mobile tracing application at the community’s request to track infected people and their contacts’ histories. Using a mobile contact search application for real-time monitoring of infected people and their interactions aided these countries in isolating and facilitating rapid reintegration of infected people and establishing a profile and reintegration of contacts who interacted with them during the onset of the coronavirus symptoms (Goyal et al , 2021). Over the past decade, mobile tracking systems have been extensively used to manage the spread of Ebola in African countries.…”

“…It is essential to intervene to control the virus spread, allowing economic activities to continue while adhering to COVID-19 precautionary measures (Chitungo et al , 2021). Initiatives in health care supported by electronic governance principles (e-governance) have contributed significantly to the literature and practice already implemented (Goyal et al , 2021). The main challenge was to develop e-governance initiatives shortly and ensure they were quickly adopted by the general public (Goyal et al , 2021).…”

“…Initiatives in health care supported by electronic governance principles (e-governance) have contributed significantly to the literature and practice already implemented (Goyal et al , 2021). The main challenge was to develop e-governance initiatives shortly and ensure they were quickly adopted by the general public (Goyal et al , 2021). It is thus worthwhile to investigate the significance of implementing such e-governance measures, particularly in a pandemic.…”

How Big Five Personality Traits affect Information and Communication Technology Use: A Meta-Analysis

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