Pathways to e-participation diffusion: A societal and governance perspective

E-participation diffusion is influenced by the interactions of multiple contextual factors. This study examines how societal dynamics and governance (i.e., national culture, economic prosperity, human capital, population size, online trust, and regulation) interact to produce high and low levels of e-participation diffusion. The study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) on a dataset of 88 countries collected from multiple sources. FsQCA reveals three paths for high e-participation diffusion (each includes either high online trust or high regulation combined with at least one additional condition) and a single path combining low online trust and regulation for low e-participation diffusion. NCA identifies that regulation, online trust, human capital, and economic prosperity are necessary conditions for high e-participation diffusion, while no necessary condition is identified for low e-participation diffusion. Uncovering casual mechanisms leading to high and low e-participation diffusion, the study contributes to the conversation on technology-mediated participatory governance interactions and guides decision makers in formulating targeted strategies to promote e-participation diffusion.