The Role of Social Media in the Diffusion of E-Government and E-Commerce

Abstract

This study attempts to empirically examine the role of social media use on the diffusion of e-government and e-commerce. This study departs from previous studies that have investigated social media effects on e-government and e-commerce as silo phenomena without examining the mediating role of other national-level factors. Using data drawn from archival sources for 135 countries for 2016, the study, through a model built on the technology-organization-environment framework, examines the mediating role of other national-level factors by employing partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings provide evidence that social media use significantly influences the development of e-government and the diffusion of e-commerce globally. However, the mediating role of the political and regulatory environment was found not to be influential. Some implications of the study for research and practice are provided. Request access from your librarian to read this article's full text.