Investigating Factors Affecting Intention to Use Government Websites for COVID-19-Related Information: An Empirical Study

With the rapid spread of COVID-19, governments of several nations have ordered some kind of lockdown to withhold the spread of this deadly virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the nations to take this virus seriously, which has a potential to bring a catastrophe to this world. WHO has continuously been working as a guiding star in this time of pandemic. It is important for the world to have an updated information related to the disease. While seeking information over the internet, there are several questions which pops up in the mind of the information seekers. Keeping in mind the relevance of COVID-19-related information over the internet, the present study investigates the behavioral intention of the internet users to seek information related to the disease. Researchers have adapted TAM model with two additional factors (i.e., electronic word of mouth [E-WOM] and trust). The findings suggest that perceived usefulness and E-WOM have a positive impact on trust, which further has a positive impact on intention to use government websites related to COVID-19 information.