The Role of Context in IS Research: A Review of E-government Research in Developing Economies

In this paper, we respond to recent calls for more attention to context in information systems (IS) research. We argue that considering context is of crucial importance when researching IS implementations in developing economies, especially those involving e-government implementations. Using a thematic literature review, we identify four properties of context which have been referenced in research of e-government implementations in developing economies. The paper joins previous calls for increased context-awareness in IS research by drawing attention to the merit of emphasizing properties of context. Future e-government research should consider pursuing discovery of more context-specific mechanisms from developing economies setting, which will enrich the understanding of implementation of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D).

[1]  Vishanth Weerakkody,et al.  E-government implementation strategies in developed and transition economies: A comparative study , 2012, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[2]  Gurpreet Dhillon,et al.  A Framework and Guidelines for Context-Specific Theorizing in Information Systems Research , 2014, Inf. Syst. Res..

[3]  Shan Ling Pan,et al.  Advancing Public Trust Relationships in Electronic Government: The Singapore E-Filing Journey , 2012, Inf. Syst. Res..

[4]  Tino Schuppan,et al.  E-Government in developing countries: Experiences from sub-Saharan Africa , 2009, Gov. Inf. Q..

[5]  Chrisanthi Avgerou,et al.  The significance of context in information systems and organizational change , 2001, Inf. Syst. J..

[6]  Robert M. Davison,et al.  Context is king! Considering particularism in research design and reporting , 2016, J. Inf. Technol..

[7]  T. Ramayah,et al.  Determinants of Online Waqf Acceptance: An Empirical Investigation , 2014, Electron. J. Inf. Syst. Dev. Ctries..

[8]  Yudi Fernando,et al.  Factors influencing intention to use e-government services among citizens in Malaysia , 2009, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[9]  Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre Comercio y Desarrollo.  World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020 , 2020, World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP).

[10]  Calvin Meng Lai Chan,et al.  User engagement in e-government systems implementation: A comparative case study of two Singaporean e-government initiatives , 2008, J. Strateg. Inf. Syst..

[11]  Paul T. Jaeger,et al.  Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: E-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for societies , 2010, Gov. Inf. Q..

[12]  David J. Yates,et al.  Strategy, Competition and Investment: Explaining the Global Divide in E-Government Implementation with Policy Variables , 2011, Electron. Gov. an Int. J..

[13]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Understanding e‐Government portal use in rural India: role of demographic and personality characteristics , 2014, Inf. Syst. J..

[14]  Shan Ling Pan,et al.  Managing e-transformation in the public sector: an e-government study of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) , 2003, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[15]  M. N. Ravishankar,et al.  Public ICT innovations: a strategic ambiguity perspective , 2013, J. Inf. Technol..

[16]  Richard T. Watson,et al.  Analyzing the Past to Prepare for the Future: Writing a Literature Review , 2002, MIS Q..

[17]  W. Wong,et al.  Does E‐Government Promote Accountability? A Comparative Analysis of Website Openness and Government Accountability , 2004 .

[18]  Walter D. Fernández,et al.  Commentary on Davison and Martinsons’ ‘Context is King! Considering particularism in research design and reporting’ , 2016, J. Inf. Technol..

[19]  Atreyi Kankanhalli,et al.  Investigating organizational learning in eGovernment projects: A multi-theoretic approach , 2008, J. Strateg. Inf. Syst..

[20]  Angelika Dimoka,et al.  Context may be King, but generalizability is the Emperor! , 2016, J. Inf. Technol..

[21]  Yasmin Merali,et al.  The Broader Context for ICT4D Projects: A Morphogenetic Analysis , 2013, MIS Q..

[22]  Cathy Urquhart,et al.  Response to Davison and Martinsons: context is king! Yes and no - it’s still all about theory (building) , 2016, J. Inf. Technol..

[23]  Geoff Walsham,et al.  GIS for District-Level Administration in India: Problems and Opportunities , 1999, MIS Q..

[24]  Paul A. Pavlou,et al.  Swift Guanxi in Online Marketplaces: The Role of Computer-Mediated Communication Technologies , 2014, MIS Q..

[25]  M. N. Ravishankar,et al.  The continuity of underperforming ICT projects in the public sector , 2014, Inf. Manag..

[26]  J. Barney,et al.  The Future of Chinese Management Research: A Theory of Chinese Management versus A Chinese Theory of Management , 2009, Management and Organization Review.