A PLS –SEM Approach to the UTAUT Model: The Case of Mauritius

Abstract

This study seeks to examine whether the UTAUT model predicts the behavioural intention of Mauritian e-government users. Trust was incorporated into the theoretical framework as a mediator. Data was collected across the island of Mauritius and 141 questionnaires were used for analysis. The SMARTPLS version 3 was used. One formative construct and four reflective constructs were used to measure unobserved factors that affect a citizen's intention to use the government website. The model fits the data well (SRMR<0.08), has good composite reliability (α>0.7) and displays adequate convergent validity (AVE > 0.5). Discriminant validity is also obtained (HTMT <0.85) for the reflective constructs. The path coefficient of the redundancy analysis for the formative construct is above 0.8 and there is no multicollinearity problem among the indicators (outer VIF<5). The exogenous components of the UTAUT model (effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, social influence) and trust explain around 54% of the variations in the intention of Mauritian citizens to use the government website. The components of the UTAUT model explain around 37% of the variations in trust. However, no indirect relationship was revealed but facilitating condition has a direct impact on behavioural intention (p<0.001). The other components of the UTAUT model do not predict behavioural intention. The impacts of facilitating conditions on trust are greater for men than women. This study shows the case of direct only non-mediation and no effect non mediation, implying that trust does not mediate the relationship between any component of the UTAUT model and its endogenous construct. However, trust affects a citizen's intention to use the Mauritian government website (p<0.05). The impacts of age on the relationships between the predictors and behavioural intention were not established. The government should devise policies to engender greater trust in its website and whereby Mauritian citizens may experience increasing facilitating conditions. These will ensure the continued use of its website by existing users and they may increase their online activities with the government. These measures will also turn offline users into online users. Increased use of the government website would eventually increase transparency and reduce corruption.