The Effects of ICT Adoption on Public Sector Performance: Does the Mediating Role of HR Quality Matter?

Abstract

Governments around the world are increasingly adopting innovative ways that facilitate the easy provision of public sector services through efficient and effective ways. However, the linkages between ICT adoption, human resource (HR) quality, and public sector performance remains under-examined. This study examines the effects of ICT adoption and HR quality on public sector performance on one hand and the mediating effects of HR quality on the linkage between ICT adoption and public sector performance on the other using archival sources of data for 140 countries and a conceptual model based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. The data analysis using partial least squares-structural equation modeling shows that ICT adoption influences HR quality but not public sector performance directly. However, HR quality was found to positively influence public sector performance. Furthermore, HR quality was found to significantly moderate the relationship between ICT adoption and the public sector performance.