Assessing the effect of organisational factors and ICT expenditures on e-maturity: empirical results in Italian municipalities

Luca Tangi, Marco Gaeta, Michele Benedetti, Luca Gastaldi and Giuliano Noci

Local Government Studies, 2023, vol. 49, issue 6, 1333-1358

Abstract: The article quantitatively investigates the e-maturity of municipalities, defined as the extent to which a public organisation uses Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for delivering public services. We first question existing e-maturity models and then propose a new method for assessing e-maturity based on the usage of digital services. We performed a Latent Class Analysis on data from 2,219 Italian Municipalities. The article quantitatively investigates the e-maturity of municipalities, defined as the extent to which a public organisation uses Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for delivering public services. We first question existing e-maturity models, and then propose a new method for assessing e-maturity based on the usage of digital services registered in 2,219 Italian municipalities. We perform Latent Class Analysis and introduce organisational factors and ICT expenditures to investigate the determinants underlying the resulting classes. Consequently, we underline the importance of key organisational characteristics, which partially explain e-maturity. Furthermore, municipalities with low e-maturity tend to spend less in ICT. Instead, no difference is found when comparing municipalities with medium and high e-maturity. Hence, the adoption of digital services does not depend on the amount of money spent in ICT, rather, probably, on the priorities and strategic choices set by municipalities. This result paves the way for further studies in the field. Subsequently, we introduced organisational factors and ICT expenditures to investigate the determinants underlying the resulting classes. Results underline the importance of key organisational characteristics, which partially explain e-maturity. Furthermore, municipalities with low e-maturity tend to spend less in ICT. Instead, no difference is found when comparing municipalities with medium and high e-maturity. Hence, the adoption of digital services does not depend on the amount of money spent in ICT, rather, probably, on the priorities and strategic choices set by municipalities. This result paves the way for further studies in the field.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1080/03003930.2022.2078807

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