e-Government: Institutional and environmental challenges

The design, development and implementation of e-Government applications are affected by several factors, which include institutional and environmental challenges within the organisation. To understand these institutional and environmental challenges, 36 South African senior civil servants from the national government were interviewed. The interview data were analysed using principles of content and interpretive analysis. A key institutional and environmental challenge is related to the problems that affect senior managers. Senior managers are frustrated, disenfranchised or expunged of managerial authority, which in turn has an effect on the design, development and implementation of e-Government applications. The practical implications of this research are that in the government the management structure within the state has to show a greater level of agility, and the government should proactively engage with key stakeholders within the state to develop a common shared vision for the use of e-Government applications.