Effect of E-Government on Service Delivery in the Public Service of Kenya

Abstract

E-government supports and simplifies services to improve easy access to information, enhance participation, efficiency, prompt service delivery, reduce corruption, and accountability. In consideration of this, governments around the world have embraced the technology to transform service delivery and facilitate the citizens’ demands. Kenya introduced e-government strategy and bolstered it with the implementation of one stop shop services known as Huduma Centres to improve service delivery, enhance communication and provide information within government, to the citizenry and to the business community. However, in spite of the e-government’s potential and extensive benefits through Huduma services, many questions still linger on whether the technology has raised any value to service delivery. Hence, the study was undertaken to assess the effect of e-government on service delivery in the public service of Kenya and was guided by the following specific objectives: To determine the effect of integrated service approach on service delivery in the public service of Kenya, to examine the effect of online service on service delivery in the public service of Kenya, to establish the effect of interactive participation on service delivery in the public service of Kenya, to explore the effect of automation of records on service delivery in the public service of Kenya and to assess the moderating role of leadership styles on the relationship between e-government and service delivery in the public service of Kenya. The research was underpinned by the new public management theory, coherent service delivery theory, systems theory and full range leadership theory. E-government was the independent variable and service delivery as the dependent variable. Leadership styles was explored to determine its moderating role on the effects of e-government on the service delivery in the public service. The target population was 5756 Huduma Centres employees from 51 centres in Kenya. The study had a sample size of 361. The study employed cross-sectional survey research design. Stratified sampling followed by simple random sampling was used for this study. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire. The pilot test was carried out at the Eldoret Huduma Centre. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used. The pilot test was conducted to detect weaknesses in the research design and data collection instrument. Of the 361 respondents, 300 completed the questionnaires giving a response rate of 83%. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test for internal reliability of each variable used in the study. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The findings revealed that e-government had a significant effect on service delivery in the public service of Kenya. The study found that the constructs of e-government of integrated service delivery approach, online service, interactive participation and automation of records all had positive and significant effect on service delivery. Additionally, leadership styles were also found to have moderating effect on the relationship between e-government and service delivery. The study concluded that e-government had a significant effect on service delivery. It is recommended that e-government be strengthened and supported to further enhance service delivery. Both transformational and transactional leadership styles moderated the relationships between the constructs of e-government and service delivery. Transformational leadership style was found to positively moderate the link between e-government and service delivery. Thus, the constructs of e-government and transformational leadership style need to be entrenched and expounded to enhance service delivery in the public service in Kenya.