Sustainable value creation by adopting an e-government initiative: empirical evidence from the emerging economy context

Big data in the fourth Industrial revolution can support a government’s e-initiatives to provide improved care, experiences, and services for citizens. However, the effectiveness of e-government systems in the current data era is difficult to prove empirically, especially in emerging economies, due to the lack of an integrated model to measure sustainable value creation. Indeed, the main models used for evaluating e-government values neglect the environmental sustainability construct. To fill this theoretical and analytical gap, this study offers a sustainable value creation model that includes three constructs, namely organizational performance, user satisfaction, and environmental sustainability. We validated our model using structural equations modeling analysis with 320 responses from the Tunisian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Our findings highlight trust as a key factor driving the intention to use an e-government system that leads to sustainable value. The study provides valuable insight for community leaders to help them in the process of adopting an e-government initiative and evaluating its sustainable value.