E-efficient?

A glance from Kuwait

Johanna Blanquicet

April 2019

Technological University of Bolivar

Industrial Engineering and International Businesses

Introduction to international business

Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

 Nowadays, we live surrounded by all kinds of electronic devices, such as cellphones,
smart television, and computers, which keep evolving constantly. In this manner the new
information technologies are having a huge impact in the era we are living in, developing the
communication between the inhabitants of the world, reducing distances, improving the trade
markets and economic activities (Grosseck, n.d.). Thus, due to this process of globalization,
the increasing exposure to the Internet and in order to avoid the capitalization and divergence
of data, the e-government emerged. The cooperation between India and the United States in
December 2011, when they initiated a globally accessible platform creating a storage place
where they maintained open-source codes of the US Government that allows other
governments around the world to use those codes and develop their own information
websites, is an example worth to highlight. (Kassen, 2014)

According to (Al-Gharbi & Al-Kindi, 2010) e-government is more than an internet

portal, email or processing transactions online. E-government becomes a natural extension
of the technological revolution that has accompanied the knowledge society, hence its
importance. The concept electronic government also is known as e-government implies the
use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in government activities and
processes in pursuance of higher efficiency, effectiveness, reliability and social inclusion
(“About e-Government,” n.d.). Considering this rising evolution of information technology,
many countries all over the world are willing to arrange their own e-governments, however,
the progression may have some elements such as lack of computer skills and reliability, not
enough financial capital, absence of social inclusion, an inadequate accounting system,
difficult access to ICT and the educational level, that may act as obstacles toward the
adoption of this initiative. (Rodríguez, Solares, Rodríguez, & Solares, n.d.)

The main difficulty is not having enough financial capital, generally, the income of a
country affects the development of electronic government because it requires an investment
in an exceptional information technology system, training the staff, setting up the public
access and maintaining the machinery. Yet, this is not the situation for an affluent country
like Kuwait. (AL-Mutairi, Naser, & Fayez, 2018). Politicians have already realized the value
of keeping abreast of global advancements and the benefits of boosting their own
government, reason why they even launched their official site where the users are allowed to
get information about the country and its both governmental and non-governmental sectors.
Withal, potential users are not encouraged to manage the handy online services either due to
technical issues or deficiency of knowledge. (Alawadhi & Morris, 2009).

In Kuwait, the majority of the population working in public areas have email
addresses, the departments where they work for hand over electronic telephones, they are
allowed to send reports and complaints via online and also most of the sectors have websites
where the visitants can easily find detailed data about the place they are working in and its
procedures. However, employees don't trust in the level of security or protection of the public
information, the staff knowledge is usually low and they don’t have the ability to properly
react to hardware problems as a result of lack of an adequate crew training (AL-Mutairi et
al., 2018).

Moreover, plenty of nations, including Kuwait, are affected by the cause of

administrative corruption, a phenomenon that affects remarkably the society reducing the
opportunity of getting new investment for the country and draining its assets. Information
and communication technology regarding the government activities and businesses are
crucial means in order to diminish the corruption since it grants public access to the data and
reduces the favoritism and nepotism (AL-Hussaini, M AL-Mutairi, & Fahad Thuwaini, n.d.).
One of the goals of this innovation is to establish a vigorous relationship between citizens
and governments so it is vital the introduction of technology in the exercise of the public
sector management, with the residents and their needs as the main point of this newness
(“About e-Government,” n.d.).

Consequently, the population needs to embrace e-government services, which means

that the planning and strategy areas of the government have to encourage them by making
this duty certainly useful and a really easy task to do for all the community in terms of
education and Internet experience. It has to be efficient, effective and ought to fulfill the
user's needs (AlAwadhi & Morris, 2009). Also, publicity or interesting campaigns has to be
done for letting know the people the advantages, like decreased costs, optimization of time
and equality, and to highlight how worth the knowledge of this technology will be. Finally,
awareness and assistance have to be given to various groups along with the country, as well
as devices and Internet access, especially in sectors where we can found less advantaged
people.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

About e-Government. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2019, from

http://portal.oas.org/Portal/Sector/SAP/DepartamentoparalaGestiónPúblicaEfectiva/N
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Al-Gharbi, K., & Al-Kindi, A. (2010). E-Government Initiative in the Sultanate of Oman.
International Journal of Technology Diffusion, 1(1), 70–74.
https://doi.org/10.4018/jtd.2010010106

AL-Hussaini, D., M AL-Mutairi, D. N., & Fahad Thuwaini, D. (n.d.). The Impact of
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AL-Mutairi, A., Naser, K., & Fayez, F. (2018). Obstacles toward Adopting Electronic
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Grosseck, S. L. G. (n.d.). The Two " G" of the Internet: Globalization and the
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Rodríguez, F., Solares, P., Rodríguez, F., & Solares, P. (n.d.). Gobierno Digital:
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