Technology knowledge and governance: Empowering citizen engagement and participation

The term technology knowledge (T-knowledge) is used to describe knowledge about and the ability to operate specific technologies such as the internet. T-knowledge also includes the ability required to operate particular technologies. T-knowledge can potentially improve engagement by helping the user to make his/her personal decision in an increasing range of domains. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) facilitates t-knowledge in e-government services offered by City Halls. We also investigate whether t-knowledge has an effect on citizen engagement in government initiatives. In this research, an extended TAM is developed to test t-knowledge in online e-government services employing a sample of 307 citizens who used the benefits advisor tool provided by a Spanish City Hall. The results suggest that the core constructs of TAM (perceived usefulness, ease of use and attitude) significantly affect t-knowledge. This study also reveals a general support for t-knowledge as a determinant of citizen engagement.