Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Do digital governments foster economic growth in the developing world? An empirical analysis

  • Published:
NETNOMICS: Economic Research and Electronic Networking Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The research has largely documented favorable economic outcomes of investing in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs). Does implementation and adoption of ICT in the public sector also lead to favorable economic gains? The answer to this question has received little attention. The available evidence is largely country-specific from the developed world. This study contributes to the empirical literature on ICT-growth nexus by analytically exploring and empirically testing the relationship of e-government with economic growth of 122 developing economies over the period 2003–2015. The empirical analysis is based on Fixed Effects, Random Effects, and System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). The results show that an implementation of an e-government in developing economies causes a robust positive impact on economic growth. This finding is shown to be robust to different specifications, to different econometric techniques and to the endogeneity problem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adeleye, N., & Eboagu, C. (2019). Evaluation of ICT development and economic growth in Africa. NETNOMICS: Economic Research and Electronic Networking, 20(1), 31–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11066-019-09131-6.

  2. Al-Kibsi, G., De Boer, K., Mourshed, M., & Rea, N. P. (2001). Putting citizens on-line, not in line. McKinsey Quarterly, 2(SPI), 64–73.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Andersen, T. B. (2008). E'government as an Anti'corruption tool (pp. 1–17). Department of Economics: University of Copenhagen.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Andrianaivo, M., & Kpodar, K. (2011). ICT, financial inclusion, and growth evidence from African countries. International Monetary Fund.

  5. Arellano, M., & Bond, S. (1991). Some tests of specification for panel data: Monte Carlo evidence and an application to employment equations. The Review of Economic Studies, 58(2), 277–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Baltagi, B. (2008). Econometric analysis of panel data. John Wiley & Sons.

  7. Barro, R. J. (1991). Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries (no. w3120). National Bureau of Economic Research.

  8. Bond, E. W., Jones, R. W., & Wang, P. (2005). Economic takeoffs in a dynamic process of globalization. Review of International Economics, 13(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9396.2005.00489.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bhatnagar, S. (2003). E-government and access to information (pp. 24–32). United Nations, global corruption report 2003.

  10. Bhuiyan, S. H. (2010). E-government in Kazakhstan: Challenges and its role to development. Public Organization Review, 10(1), 31–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-009-0087-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen, A. J., Pan, S. L., Zhang, J., Huang, W. W., & Zhu, S. (2009). Managing E-government implementation in China: A process perspective. Information & Management, 46(4), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2009.02.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Choi, C., & Hoon Yi, M. (2009). The effect of the internet on economic growth: Evidence from cross-country panel data. Economics Letters, 105(1), 39–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2009.03.028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Comin, D., & Hobijn, B. (2004). Cross-country technology adoption: Making the theories face the facts. Journal of Monetary Economics, 51(1), 39–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmoneco.2003.07.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Czernich, N., Falck, O., Kretschmer, T., & Woessmann, L. (2011). Broadband infrastructure and economic growth. The Economic Journal, 121(552), 505–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Elbahnasawy, N. G. (2014). E-government, internet adoption, and corruption: An empirical investigation. World Development, 57, 114–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.12.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Feenstra, R. C., Inklaar, R., & Timmer, M. P. (2015). The Next Generation of the Penn World Table. American Economic Review, 105(10), 3150–3182, available for download at www.ggdc.net/pwt. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20130954.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Haigh, N. (2004). Linkages between E-business and sustainability outcomes: An exploratory study. INNOVATION: Management, Policy & Practice, 6(2), 236–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Haigh, N., & Griffiths, A. (2008). E-government and environmental sustainability: Results from three Australian cases. Electronic Government, An International Journal, 5(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1504/EG.2008.016127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. International Telecommunication Union (2015). ICT indicators database. Washington, DC: ITU. Available at www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/statistics.

  20. ITU statistics (2014). ICT facts and figures. Available at: http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/facts/default.aspx

  21. Khan, M. S., & Ssnhadji, A. S. (2001). Threshold effects in the relationship between inflation and growth. IMF Staff papers, 48, 1–21.

  22. Krishnan, S., & Teo, T. S. (2012). Moderating effects of governance on information infrastructure and E-government development. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 63(10), 1929–1946. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22660.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Krishnan, S., Teo, T. S., & Lim, V. K. (2013). Examining the relationships among e-government maturity, corruption, economic prosperity and environmental degradation: A cross-country analysis. Information & Management, 50(8), 638–649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2013.07.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Kumar, V., Mukerji, B., Butt, I., & Persaud, A. (2007). Factors for successful E-government adoption: A conceptual framework. The Electronic Journal of E-government, 5(1), 63–76.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Levine, R. (1997). Financial development and economic growth: Views and agenda. Journal of Economic Literature, 35(2), 688–726.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Ma, L., Chung, J., & Thorson, S. (2005). E-government in China: Bringing economic development through administrative reform. Government Information Quarterly, 22(1), 20–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2004.10.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Mahyideen, J., Ismail, N. W., & Law, S. H. (2012). A pooled mean group estimation on ICT infrastructure and economic growth in ASEAN countries. International Journal of Economics and Management, 6(2), 360–378.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Majeed, M. T. (2016). Economic growth, inequality and trade in developing countries. International Journal of Development Issues, 15(3), 240–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Majeed, M. T. (2018). Information and communication technology (ICT) and environmental sustainability in developed and developing countries. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 12(3), 758–783.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Majeed, M. T. (2019). Social capital and economic performance of the Muslim world: Islamic perspectives and empirical evidence. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 12(4), 601–622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Majeed, M. T., & Ayub, T. (2018). Information and communication technology (ICT) and economic growth nexus: A comparative global analysis. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 12(2), 443–476.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Majeed, M. T., & Malik, A. (2016a). Does E-government stimulate press freedom to curb corruption? A cross-country study. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 36(2), 1173–1183.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Majeed, M. T., & Malik, A. (2016b). E-government, financial development and economic growth. Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, 26(2), 107–128.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Mankiw, N. G., Romer, D., & Weil, D. N. (1992). A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth (no. w3541). National Bureau of economic research.

  35. Mishra, A. (2006). Persistence of corruption: Some theoretical perspectives. World Development, 34(2), 349–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2005.03.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Morawczynski, O., & Ngwenyama, O. (2007). Unraveling the impact of investments in ICT, education and health on development: An analysis of archival data of five West African countries using regression splines. EJISDC: The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, 29(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2007.tb00199.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Ngwenyama, O., Andoh-Baidoo, F. K., Bollou, F., & Morawczynski, O. (2006). Is there a relationship between ICT, health, education and development? An empirical analysis of five West African countries from 1997-2003. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 23(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2006.tb00150.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. OECD. (2005). Good practice paper on ICTs for economic growth and poverty reduction. The DAC Journal, 6(3), 27–95.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Piatkowski, M. (2006). Can information and communication technologies make a difference in the development of transition economies? Information Technologies & International Development, 3(1), 39–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Quah. (2002). Technology dissemination and economic growth: Some lessons for the new economy. In C. E. Bai & C. W. Yuen (Eds.), Technology and the new economy (pp. 95–156). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Teo, T. S., Srivastava, S. C., & Jiang, L. (2008). Trust and electronic government success: An empirical study. Journal of Management Information Systems, 25(3), 99–132. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222250303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Tirole, J. (1996). A theory of collective reputations (with applications to the persistence of corruption and to firm quality). The Review of Economic Studies, 63(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.2307/2298112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Tolbert, C. J., & Mossberger, K. (2006). The effects of E-government on trust and confidence in government. Public Administration Review, 66(3), 354–369. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00594.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. United Nations (2015). UN E-government Database. Available at https://publicadministration.un.org/egovkb/en-us/Data-Center

  45. United Nations Development Program (2006). Fighting corruption with E-government applications. APDIP e-note 8. Available from https://www.unapcict.org/sites/default/files/2019-01/enote8.pdf.

  46. Von Haldenwang, C. (2004). Electronic government (e-government) and development. The European Journal of Development Research, 16(2), 417–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Vu, K., Hanafizadeh, P., & Bohlin, E. (2020). ICT as a driver of economic growth: A survey of the literature and directions for future research. Telecommunications Policy, 44(2), 101922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2020.101922.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Wei-Te Hsieh, E., & Goel, R. K. (2019). Internet use and labor productivity growth: Recent evidence from the US and other OECD countries. NETNOMICS: Economic Research and Electronic Networking, 20(2), 195–210. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11066-019-09135-2.

  49. Welch, E. W., Hinnant, C. C., & Moon, M. J. (2005). Linking citizen satisfaction with E-government and Trust in Government. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 15(3), 371–391. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mui021.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. West, D. M. (2004). E-government and the transformation of service delivery and citizen attitudes. Public Administration Review, 64(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00343.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. World Bank (2001). Available from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/governance/brief/anti-corruption.

  52. World Bank (2015). World development indicators. Washington, DC: World Bank. Available at http://data.worldbank.org/products/wdi.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Tariq Majeed.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 6 Summary of Variables
Table 7 Linktest
Table 8 Variance Inflating Factor

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Majeed, M.T. Do digital governments foster economic growth in the developing world? An empirical analysis. Netnomics 21, 1–16 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11066-020-09138-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11066-020-09138-4

Keywords

JEL classifications

Navigation