Introduction

E-government research in developing countries

E-government in Kazakhstan

Methods

“Freeze all but the technology”

Transaction rather than transformation

Isomorphic mimicry

Impact on corruption

(Half )-open government

Discussion

Conclusions

References

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the emergence of e-government in post-Soviet countries using Kazakhstan as a case study. Extant research on e-government in developing countries highlights significant benefits including improved public services, reduced corruption, and more open and inclusive government. The paper asserts the presence of an e-government paradox which limits its potential to improve public services.
Design/methodology/approach – Primary data were collected from a number of sources: 6 focus groups with central government agencies, local authorities and civil society organisations; 25 structured and semistructured interviews; and participant observation.
Findings – The research finds evidence of an e-government paradox in five forms: an emphasis on technological development; transactional services are faster but have displaced attention from core public services; petty corruption has been reduced but grand corruption remains; isomorphic mimicry; and greater participation by citizens has been limited. Research limitations/implications – The focus of the research is Kazakhstan. Applying the lessons learned to other post-Soviet countries has limitations given their different stages of development since independence.
Practical implications – The key practical implication of this research is that countries can become absorbed by e-government technology without questioning the fundamental business model which underpins how public services are delivered. Ultimately, this impacts on the social value of e-government.
Originality/value – While existing research has examined how e-government has been implemented in developing countries, this paper focusses on Kazakhstan as an authoritarian state with wider implications for post-Soviet countries.

Introduction

Public services improvement is a significant component in the agenda of developing countries, not least because citizens judge the progress of development through the lens of better education, healthcare, social welfare, public housing and so on (Knox, 2019). Improvements in key public services often give citizens a greater sense of well-being and awareness of a better quality of life. One important aspect of the public services improvement agenda is the use of electronic government, about which many advantages are offered (Weerakkody et al., 2012). For developing countries, the persistent issue of corruption can be reduced, at least in part, through removing personal transactions between officials and service users. Citizens witness faster, more efficient, services that avoid several exchanges of documents with multiple state agencies that may have different and complex bureaucratic requirements. Technical developments in electronic government are opening up new linked services using personal data gathered from service users. Children registered at birth, for example, can be allocated kinder garden and school places, allowing better strategic planning by state agencies. Using a case study of Kazakhstan, this paper examines what we describe as the “e-government paradox”.