The Influence of Transformed Government on Citizen Trust: Insights from Bahrain

Abstract

In recent decades, citizens’ trust and confidence in their governments has declined. Electronic government (e-government) is seen as a means to reverse this trend. Although the literature draws conflicting conclusions, there is a consensus that e-government led transformation of government can improve citizens’ trust in government. This research empirically investigates the influence of an e-government led transformation of government on citizens’ trust and confidence in the context of a developing country. A conceptual model is developed, tested and validated using an online survey targeting ordinary citizens of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Based on 313 responses, the findings suggest that citizens’ trust and confidence in their government is positively influenced by transformation of government mediated by government performance and citizens’ satisfaction. The study shows that to achieve a transformed government using e-government, other key factors must also be met, which are transparency, accountability and meeting citizens’ expectations.