Challenges in developing information and communication technology (ICT) use for rural e-governance: An ecology perspective

The utilisation of information and communication technology (ICT) has a profound impact on e-governance across countries, albeit, with limited attention to rural areas. The existing literature on this topic either examines the positive effects of ICT use on e-governance at the individual level or from the urban–rural dichotomy perspective. Meanwhile, the majority of studies are conducted within an urban context, but they scarcely focus on identifying the challenges in developing rural e-governance. As such, we contend that an ecology perspective is necessary to identify the specific distinctions of ICT use on e-governance in various rural ecosystems. To this end, we employ various empirical specifications, namely a fixed-effects model and an instrumental variable approach, to provide evidence of distinct influences of ICT use on e-governance. As follows, we adopt a qualitative research approach to gather evidence on the differentiations of ICT use on rural e-governance within diverse ecosystems. Subsequently, we have identified five crucial obstacles encountered by rural ecosystems in Western China while attempting to develop e-governance. Furthermore, we delineate an all-encompassing internal-external strategy to overcome these challenges.