EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF BEHAVIORAL FACTORS ON THE INTENTION OF ADOPTING E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON THE HARD-TO-REACH GROUPS IN MACAO SAR, CHINA

摘要

IN GOVERNMENT STUDIES, ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME A HOT TOPIC IN RECENT DECADES. MANY SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT SOON, THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY WITHOUT THE HELP OF ICTS AS THE INTERNET HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING PEOPLE'S DAILY LIVES ALREADY. IN ANALYZING PEOPLE'S BEHAVIORAL FACTORS TOWARDS ADOPTING E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES, MOST STUDIES TARGETED THE ADULT POPULATION, WHILE THOSE IN THE HARD-TO-REACH GROUPS ARE MINIMAL. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED ESPECIALLY TO UNDERSTAND THE BEHAVIORAL FACTORS OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION AGED BETWEEN 18 AND 24 AND THE SENIOR CITIZENS ABOVE 60 ON THEIR ADOPTION OF E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN MACAO SAR. SIXTEEN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED BASED ON THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS DEVELOPED FROM THE PRIOR LITERATURE ON THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AND E-GOVERNMENT STUDIES. SIX SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS ARE YIELDED, WHICH COULD SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT REFERENCE FOR POLICYMAKERS DESIGNING E-GOVERNMENT POLICY AND PROMOTING ITS IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY. THESE BEHAVIORAL FACTORS ALSO CONTRIBUTE EMPIRICAL DATA TO SUPPORT THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF TPB IN THE CONTEXT OF MACAO SAR E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES.