E-GOVERNMENT AND CORRUPTION: IS ACCOUNTABILITY A BRIDGE?

ABSTRACT

One of the most pernicious and pervasive threats to the integrity of governments, economies, and societies worldwide is the insidious and corrosive influence of corruption. E-government, everywhere, is expected to play a pivotal role in combating corruption. Nevertheless, academic research has yielded varying outcomes. To address the inherent variability, this study employed data from 188 countries to thoroughly investigate the impact of e-government on corruption. Using a path modeling approach and following New Institutional Theory, this study examined the association between the two. We found an inconsistent relationship between e-government and corruption, primarily owing to a nonlinear association between the two and an omitted mediator variable of an institutional nature. Further, accountability, a social instrument, mediates this relationship. Our study offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between e-government and corruption by establishing the crucial role of accountability in the context of corruption.

KEYWORDS:

• E-government
• IT & global community
• corruption
• accountability

Acknowledgments

We have not received any funding to conduct this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shashi Kant Srivastava

Shashi Kant Srivastava is a faculty in the area of IT & Systems at the Indian Institute of Management Sirmaur, India. He received his FPM (PhD) from the Indian Institute of Management Indore, India. His current research interests include blockchain technology, big data, artificial intelligence, business analytics, and digital transformation. His papers have appeared in Communications of the Association for Information Systems (CAIS), Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application (JITTA), Journal of Global Information Technology Management, International Journal of Business Intelligence Research, International Journal of Knowledge Management, and Journal of International Technology andInformation Management. He can be reached at [email protected]. Orcid id https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0707-6003

Praveen Ranjan Srivastava

Prof. Praveen Ranjan Srivastava a distinguished faculty member at IIM Rohtak, is a renowned professor specializing in the dynamic field of analytics. With an impressive track record, he has contributed over 120 research papers to leading journals. Serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the IJSETA Journal, his expertise spans across various research areas, including Machine Learning, Analytics, Nature Computing, and Software Management.

Justing Z. Zhang

Justing Z. Zhang is an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems and Business Analytics in the Department of Management at University of North Florida. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration on Management Science and Information Systems from Pennsylvania State University, University Park. His research interests include economics of information systems, knowledge management, electronic business, business process management, information security, and social networking. He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Global Information Management, an ABET program evaluator, and an IEEE senior member.