The Failure of E-government in Jordan to Fulfill Potential

Abstract

Abstract-The aim of this paper is to uncover the reasons behind what so-called total failure in e-government project in Jordan. Reviewing the published papers in this context revealed that both citizens and employees do not understand the current status of this program. The majority of these papers measure the quality of e-services presented by e-government. However, according to the minister of Communication and Information Technologies (MOCIT), only three e-services are provided by this program up to writing this paper. Moreover, he decided to freeze the current working on e-government programme. These facts drove the authors to conduct this research. General review of the existing literature concerning e-government implementation in Jordan was applied, then a qualitative research was utilised to uncover the reasons behind the failure of the e-government program in Jordan. The collected data then was analysed using Strauss and Corbin's method of grounded theory. This paper illustrates that Jordanian government need to exert strenuous efforts to move from the first stage of e-government implementation into an interactive one after fourteen years of launching the program, considering that only three e-services are presented up to October 2013. Reasons behind the failure of egovernment in Jordan have also been identified.

Barriers to e-Government Implementation in Jordan

“…Having highlighted the significant role that Wasta plays within the Jordanian e-government context, then there is always the follow-on question as to whether there are any ways of lessening the effect of this factor? Although strictly beyond the remit of this current paper, Kanaan (2009) suggests several potential actions that might be undertaken in this respect. However, it must be noted that something that is so integral to Jordanian culture, such as Wasta, would be extremely difficult and slow to change.…”

“…Wasta was one of several barriers identified by the authors as a result of a wider enquiry into the nature of, and interrelationships between, both positive and negative factors that impact on Jordan's e-government implementation; the details about which can be found in Kanaan (2009). A longitudinal, qualitative, case study approach was taken to this wider enquiry, so as to explore any dynamism within the presence of factors over a three year period (from 2006 to 2008) as well as to seek a rich understanding of such factors.…”

“…This paper describes the identification and justification of Wasta as a significant and persistent factor in impeding the e-government implementation within Jordan. Identification of this factor occurred as a result of analysing fieldwork data collected as part of a widerranging, qualitative research project exploring the nature and interrelationships between any factors that were found to influence Jordan's e-government implementation over time (as detailed in Kanaan, 2009). After a general review of the existing literature concerning barriers to e-government implementations, this paper provides an overview of the research methodology that was employed within the larger project, and how factors, such as Wasta, were identified.…”

Cloud Based Public Collaboration System in Developing Countries

“…Nevertheless, the value given by mobility comes, not from the accessibility of certain services through mobile phones, but from capability of these services to support mobility of the user. Different aspects of mobility and its inferences to government environment are vital for appreciating the individuality of m-government concept, as well as obstacles and motivations to m-government service adoption [14].…”

Empirical Analyis of Public ICT Development Project Objectives in Hungary

“…Lips argues that e-government is still too techno-centric and many public officials associate e-Government with technology, with the technology deterministic attitude rather distant from the administrative complexity and political risk of governance [8]. Lack of strategic alignment then results in conceptual de-coupling of high-order objectives of governance and although several localized value and process improvement measures can be achieved breakthrough of transformation in government is still to come.…”