Does Digital Literacy Matter for E-Government Usage Behavior? An Empirical Analysis Based on Data from Rural Women in China

Yongbiao Duan and Xinyu Dong

SAGE Open, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 21582440251376118

Abstract: The rapid development of digital information technology and e-government has drawn increasing attention to public digital literacy and e-government participation in China. This study investigates the impact of digital literacy on e-government usage behavior among rural women by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A robust survey was conducted with 1,082 valid questionnaires collected from rural women in Shaanxi Province, China, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that digital literacy significantly enhances perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) of e-government services, which in turn strengthen both usage intention and actual behavior. Specifically, PU and PEU mediate the relationship between digital literacy and e-government usage intention, and multigroup analysis indicates that education level moderates the influence of PU and PEU on e-government usage intention. These findings underscore the importance of improving digital literacy among rural women to facilitate effective e-government participation, and they provide practical policy recommendations to support the digital transformation of rural public services.

Keywords: rural women; digital literacy; e-government; e-government usage behavior; digital divide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:21582440251376118

DOI: 10.1177/21582440251376118

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