Egovernment Digital Adoption: Can Channel Choice of Individuals Be Predicted?

Abstract

The shift of public sector services to digital platforms has had ongoing impacts on individuals interactions with government entities and services. This research explores the effectiveness of encouraging users to adopt an eGovernment channel choice to lodge their annual income tax return in Australia. Through the application of a quasi-randomised control trial, two different user groups were tested in order to compare and contrasts the variable of an early message intervention and the potential impact on the lodgers shift to digital channels (i.e. eGovernment support encouraging historically non-digital lodgers group vs null support). This small study suggests that individuals are encouraged to use digital services when Government provides support, and that they are more likely to displays predictive behaviours of adoption to these digital channels. Furthermore, there are two main characteristics which predict the users choosing to shift (i.e. age and deductive benefits). Through the use of strategically placed encouragement and digital assistance, it makes an individual more likely to shift to digital channels. However, this research demonstrates predictive analytics has a stronger place in the long term adoption of eGovernment services.