Appropriation of online services by citizens: innovating through a "bottom-up" approach

Abstract

Governments are providing their citizens with more and more electronic services. Relatively little, however, is known about how these services are appropriated by citizens in outlying regions. In this paper, we analyze the factors that influence such appropriation in order to improve the relationship between citizens in outlying regions and e-government service providers. We focus on adoption of online e-government services through an innovative "bottom-up" approach. This paper goes beyond the usual limiting factors and builds upon the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. We describe how these services are perceived by public and parapublic organizations in order to offer solutions designed for outlying regions. Indeed, several social, economic, demographic, and psychological factors need to be taken into account for development of online services. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.