IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ijhplm/v41y2026i2p346-367.html

E‐Government in Global Health Crisis: Comparing the E‐Performance of COVID‐19 Contact Tracing Websites

Author

Listed:
  • Ying‐ho Kwong
  • Mathew Y. H. Wong

Abstract

E‐government is widely acknowledged for its benefits to governments and citizens. However, its effectiveness during crises remains underexplored. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, contact tracing websites were deployed globally to kerb the virus's spread, raising significant controversies about data privacy and security. This study evaluates the performance of e‐government contact tracing websites across 57 countries/regions. Six e‐government dimensions are examined, including (1) transparency, (2) accountability, (3) data security, (4) accessibility, (5) e‐participation and (6) privacy, in a tailor‐made questionnaire. The findings show that the overall performance of e‐government is fair. Countries/regions mostly performed satisfactorily in providing transparency and promising accountability, data security and privacy. However, the commitments of accessibility and e‐participation are evidently weak. The analysis reveals that regime type significantly influences e‐government performance: democratic regimes generally perform better than autocratic ones across most dimensions, except accessibility and e‐participation. The study concludes that higher levels of democracy enhance e‐government performance as demonstrated by evaluations of contact tracing websites. This research provides an original comparative analysis that evaluates: (1) e‐government performance through contact tracing websites, (2) the performance across various countries/regions, and (3) the factors that facilitate e‐government. The contribution is to demonstrate that democracy consistently serves as a key factor in strengthening e‐health management and safeguarding data protection for citizens during global health crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Ying‐ho Kwong & Mathew Y. H. Wong, 2026. "E‐Government in Global Health Crisis: Comparing the E‐Performance of COVID‐19 Contact Tracing Websites," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 346-367, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijhplm:v:41:y:2026:i:2:p:346-367
    DOI: 10.1002/hpm.70054
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.70054
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/hpm.70054?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael J. Andrews & Aaron Chatterji & Josh Lerner & Scott Stern, 2022. "The Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Economic Growth," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number chat-1.
    2. Marijn Janssen & Nripendra P. Rana & Emma L. Slade & Yogesh K. Dwivedi, 2018. "Trustworthiness of digital government services: deriving a comprehensive theory through interpretive structural modelling," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 647-671, May.
    3. Michael J. Andrews & Aaron Chatterji & Lerner, Josh & Stern, Scott (ed.), 2022. "The Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Economic Growth," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226810782, December.
    4. Ming‐Jui Yeh & Ray Serrano, 2020. "Examining sociopolitical elements of health system reform: The experience of Singapore and Taiwan," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 649-657, March.
    5. Anita Jose & Shang-Mei Lee, 2007. "Environmental Reporting of Global Corporations: A Content Analysis based on Website Disclosures," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 72(4), pages 307-321, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ehsan Salih & Emdad Khaleel Mahmood & Zhian Bwrhan Mustafa & Samian Karim Ado & Rebar Maghdid Ahmad, 2024. "The impact of socio-cultural factors on entrepreneurial failure in Soran city," Review of Islamic Social Finance and Entrepreneurship, Center for Islamic Economics and Development Studies [P3EI], vol. 3(2), pages 105-120.
    2. Liu, Xinyu & Xu, Liufang, 2025. "Cross-shareholding and innovation: Do both sides benefit equally?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    3. Klapkiv Lyubov & Ulgen Faruk, 2022. "An Evolutionary Perspective on the Endogenous Instability of Capitalist Dynamics," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 9(56), pages 291-308, January.
    4. Guillermo Jenaro & Antonio Hidalgo, 2026. "How technology convergence and entrepreneurial leadership disrupted the launch industry: the case of SpaceX," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 1-29, June.
    5. Elisabeth Albertini, 2019. "The Contribution of Management Control Systems to Environmental Capabilities," Post-Print halshs-02007194, HAL.
    6. Jiangang Shi & Kaifeng Duan & Quanwei Xu & Jiajia Li, 2020. "Analysis of Super-Gentrification Dynamic Factors Using Interpretative Structure Modeling," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-16, February.
    7. David Schneider & Johannes Klumpe & Martin Adam & Alexander Benlian, 2020. "Nudging users into digital service solutions," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(4), pages 863-881, December.
    8. Sylvia Novillo-Villegas & Ricardo Ayala-Andrade & Juan Pablo Lopez-Cox & Javier Salazar-Oyaneder & Patricia Acosta-Vargas, 2022. "A Roadmap for Innovation Capacity in Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-20, May.
    9. Noushi Rahman & Corinne Post, 2012. "Measurement Issues in Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR): Toward a Transparent, Reliable, and Construct Valid Instrument," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 307-319, February.
    10. repec:jtr:journl:v:8:y:2014:i:1:p:29-42 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Baabdullah, Abdullah M. & Alalwan, Ali Abdallah & Algharabat, Raed S. & Metri, Bhimaraya & Rana, Nripendra P., 2022. "Virtual agents and flow experience: An empirical examination of AI-powered chatbots," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    12. Prabhsimran Singh & Yogesh K. Dwivedi & Karanjeet Singh Kahlon & Ravinder Singh Sawhney & Ali Abdallah Alalwan & Nripendra P. Rana, 0. "Smart Monitoring and Controlling of Government Policies Using Social Media and Cloud Computing," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    13. Wendy Mason Burdon & Mohamed Karim Sorour, 2020. "Institutional Theory and Evolution of ‘A Legitimate’ Compliance Culture: The Case of the UK Financial Service Sector," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 47-80, February.
    14. S. Zeng & X. Xu & H. Yin & C. Tam, 2012. "Factors that Drive Chinese Listed Companies in Voluntary Disclosure of Environmental Information," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 309-321, September.
    15. Ọláyẹmí M. Ọlábìyí & Jasmine Alam, 2025. "Making money move: an analysis of corporate social responsibility activities in money transfer firms," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    16. Alice Klettner & Thomas Clarke & Martijn Boersma, 2014. "The Governance of Corporate Sustainability: Empirical Insights into the Development, Leadership and Implementation of Responsible Business Strategy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 145-165, June.
    17. Magda Wilewska-Bien & Lena Granhag & Karin Andersson, 2020. "Pathways to reduction and efficient handling of food waste on passenger ships: from Baltic Sea perspective," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 217-230, January.
    18. Parker, Lee D. & Schmitz, Jana, 2022. "The Reinvented accounting firm office: Impression management for efficiency, client relations and cost control," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    19. Laguir, Issam & Stekelorum, Rébecca & El Baz, Jamal, 2021. "Proactive environmental strategy and performances of third party logistics providers (TPLs): Investigating the role of eco-control systems," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    20. Yoon Jin Ma & Hyun‐Hwa Lee & Kylie Goerlitz, 2016. "Transparency of Global Apparel Supply Chains: Quantitative Analysis of Corporate Disclosures," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(5), pages 308-318, September.
    21. Olivier Boiral & Charles Baron & Olen Gunnlaugson, 2014. "Environmental Leadership and Consciousness Development: A Case Study Among Canadian SMEs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 123(3), pages 363-383, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ijhplm:v:41:y:2026:i:2:p:346-367. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0749-6753 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.