E-Trade Potential in Bangladesh: Factors that Elevate Public Value of E-Trade

This study examines the impact of improved situational factors, actor capabilities, and flexible process workflows on the public value of E-trade licenses in Bangladesh. The research aims to identify how these factors contribute to enhancing transparency, efficiency, and user satisfaction within the digital licensing system. Given the increasing role of e-governance in facilitating business operations, understanding these influences is crucial for enhancing policy and driving economic growth. This study builds upon the Situation-Actor-Process (SAP) and Learning-Action-Performance (LAP) frameworks, which have been applied in public administration research to assess governance efficiency. Previous studies have explored public value creation in digital services, but have not specifically examined the licensing process in Bangladesh’s SME sector. This research extends existing knowledge by focusing on the digital governance landscape of a developing economy. A structured survey was conducted with 121 business owners who had obtained E-trade licenses. The questionnaire was pilot-tested, and data collection employed simple random sampling. Smart-PLS was used for structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze relationships between variables, ensuring robustness through sensitivity and subgroup analyses. The findings indicate that improved situational factors, higher actor capabilities, and flexible workflows significantly enhance public value. The model demonstrates a strong explanatory power for public value, confirming the importance of these constructs in digital governance. The study highlights the need for targeted training for licensing officials, streamlined digital processes, and improved support for SMEs. These insights are valuable for policymakers and researchers aiming to enhance e-governance efficiency.