Determinants of Public Servants’ Intention to Adopt E-Government Learning

• Author: Hsiu-Ying Chung,Gwo-Guang Lee,Ren-Zong Kuo
• Published date: 01 December 2016
• DOI: 10.1177/0734371X15590482
• Date: 01 December 2016
• Subject Matter: Articles

Review of Public Personnel Administration

2016, Vol. 36(4) 396 –411

© The Author(s) 2015

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DOI: 10.1177/0734371X15590482

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Article

Determinants of Public

Servants’ Intention to Adopt

E-Government Learning

Hsiu-Ying Chung1, Gwo-Guang Lee1,

and Ren-Zong Kuo2

Abstract

The competence of public servants has a direct impact on a country’s administrative

performance, for which governments provide considerable funding and training.

Therefore, their behaviors toward e-government learning are worth examining. This

study investigated the factors influencing the behavioral intention of public servants

toward adopting e-government learning. The unified theory of acceptance and use

of technology (UTAUT) was adopted as the theoretical basis for analysis, and three

constructs, behavioral attitude, barrier factor, and policy factor were added to obtain a

more complete perspective and to enhance explanatory power. The results indicated

that the research model, apart from fully demonstrating the characteristics of the

research subject, identified the key factors to facilitate the policy-making processes

of the government agency in charge of e-government learning.

Keywords

e-government learning, public servants, unified theory of acceptance and use of

technology (UTAUT), barrier, policy

Introduction

The quality of public servants determines the overall administrative efficiency of a

country; therefore, human resource management is a crucial task of the public sector.

Highly competent public servants can be produced through appropriate training. In

1National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei City, Taiwan

2Tzu Chi College of Technology, Hualien City, Taiwan

Corresponding Author:

Hsiu-Ying Chung, Graduate Institute of Management, National Taiwan University of Science and

Technology, 5F.-4, No. 28, Aly. 47, Ln. 208, Rui’an St., Da’an Dist., Taipei City 106, Taiwan.

Email: D9516943@mail.ntust.edu.tw

590482ROPXXX10.1177/0734371X15590482Review of Public Personnel AdministrationChung et al.

research-article2015

Chung et al. 397

addition, governments implement public policies also through training. Reese and

Lindenberg (2003) asserted that even the best policy, with the absence of a commit-

ment to training, is unlikely to have the desired workplace outcomes. Perry (2010) also

indicated that training and development is one of the five future agenda items with

high priorities for a strategic public human resource management research. E-learning

curricula provide public servants with various course selection choices and participa-

tion opportunities, positively affecting public sector training and improving the capa-

bilities of public servants.

E-government learning is a training method worth adopting, featuring a number of

advantages such as low variable costs, flexible learning content, and independence from

time and space constraints. Over the years, the Taiwanese government has expended

considerable funds to build an e-government learning platform and develop a digital cur-

riculum, anticipating that sufficient in-service training would enhance the quality of

human resources. Therefore, it is worth examining how e-government learning plat-

forms are used to educate public servants.

User involvement is critical when government authorities enact electronic service

policies. During policy implementation, user needs should be identified and their dif-

ficulties should be addressed. Only when these needs are met and difficulties are elim-

inated can the rate of system use be increased.

Most studies have based their investigations and analyses of e-learning on in-school

classroom teaching. Scant research has addressed the adoption of e-government learn-

ing by public servants.

Consequently, a complete reference framework is lacking to define the key factors

that influence the use intentions of public servants regarding the adoption of e-

government learning. The current study was enacted to fill this gap; thus, this study

investigates these use intentions and the findings can provide a reference for subse-

quent research and policy planning by training agencies.

Related Literature and Hypotheses Development

E-government learning refers to governmental promotion of learning, using network technol-

ogy to improve the effectiveness of knowledge sharing and facilitate lifelong learning (Shyu

& Huang, 2011). The Taiwanese government recently established several e-government

learning platforms, including human resource development (HRD) e-learning, which was

established by the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, of the Executive Yuan,

primarily to train national public servants (and registered members of the public). Established

by the Taipei City Government, the Taipei e-Campus system is primarily used to train Taipei

City Government personnel, but is also offered to registered public servants from other agen-

cies, and the public. Various other departments and local governments have established learn-

ing platforms. E-government learning curricula are broad and diverse; the objectives of these

curricula include improving the quality of public servants and welcoming public participa-

tion to engender a society of lifelong learners.

The HRD e-learning and Taipei e-Campus are learning platforms primarily used by

public servants in the central government agency and Taipei City Government. The