The impact of usability on e-government usage in the Peruvian context

Abstract

Governments usually face various challenges in supplying public services to their citizens, such as limited infrastructure and human resources. Investment in technology can support and improve the provision of these services; however, the success of projects of this kind depends on their adoption by citizens. Hence, it is imperative to consider a user-centered design when implementing these technology-based solutions. Literature suggests that usability might be important in this type of design, and thus, the present study aims to determine whether usability can influence citizens' intention to use these online services. Specifically, this study aims to support the effect of usability on the success of e-Government portals in Peru with empirical evidence. To achieve this goal, an online survey was distributed to citizens across urban areas. Participants were randomly provided with one of our three selected government websites, and they were required to complete an information query. They were then asked to answer a set of questions regarding their experience. A pilot test was conducted, and its results showed that usability effectively drives satisfaction, which in turn impacts on usage intention. Based on these findings, implications are discussed.