The transition to E-government and the preparedness of employees in Sharjah

Abstract EN

Given the impact of Covid-19 pandemic that has affected the world, the relevance of e-services has never been as high.

The UAE government has for many years been engaged to rapidly adopting smart government services within the state sector with the aim of increasing the quality of electronic-based services.

The UAE government has developed Vision 2021, which is a strategic plan for the future of the country.

Accordingly, the authorities in the Emirate of Sharjah established the Supreme Committee for Digital Transformation.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the preparedness of public employees in Sharjah and the extent to which they are ready for the shift to digital services.

It provides an evaluation of the preparedness of employees based on an examination of their perceptions of e-government and their level of readiness to engage the digital transformation.

The paper uses Everett Rogers’ diffusion theory (1962) as the basis for its theoretical framework.

Diffusion theory refers to the process whereby novel technologies, products or concepts are diffused and adopted within a social system.

A survey was administered to 102 public workers that comprised both quantitative and open-ended qualitative questions.