Inter-temporal analysis of e-government enactment: The cases of Mexico and Colombia

Abstract

The literature has widely documented e-government benefits such as: Efficiency, productivity, information access, and more participatory and democratic tools for citizens. However, various authors have also recognized failures and uneven adoption of egovernment due to the complexity of the institutional arrangements, organizational forms and information technology in which e-government initiatives are implemented. Understanding the complex relationships between three components is critical for a successful implementation of e-government initiatives. The purpose of this study is to analyze the complex interaction of these three components by extending the enactment theory into an inter-temporal institutional model. This model is applied in two similar cases of e-government in Latin America and the Caribbean (Colombia and Mexico), with similar beginnings and goals but with unexpected different outcomes. The results of this analysis show that the enactment theory in an inter-temporal framework is a useful tool for advising toward a better implementation of egovernment projects over time. Copyright © 2013 by the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.