5. Research Methodology
5.2 Survey of this Research
To test the variables, model and hypotheses of the research, this research is based on data collected from the questionnaire and survey in four phases. Each stage is associated with a specific objective of the research, described in detail as follows:
Phase 1 (variables validation) is the survey phase which aims to test the variables of each construct, as analyzed and discussed in the previous chapter, to assess the quality of service.
Previous studies were based on multiple variables, to assess their impact on the quality of service. The two constructs of information and service quality have been assessed in many surveys and studies. They offered different variations in the quality of services online; however, not all variables affect the quality of e-Government services. There is also a construct that aimed to assess organization quality through e-Government evaluation rankings at Waseda University during 6 consecutive years. The authors found that there are many criteria, even in the internal organization, which may affect e-Government services as implemented in each
90 Adapted from Chang (2011)
Raw Data PLS Factor
analysis
Model Quality
Correlations of latent variables
Structure model with coefficients
Reliability
Validity
Discriminant Validity
Path Relation
& Causality
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country. Thus, it is necessary at this phase to select the variables to narrow the values in assessing the quality of e-Government services in the 3 constructs (perceived value). For this research the decision was made to conduct a survey among the experts in this field at the IAC conference, held in Singapore. Survey results were obtained from 23 professors. The final results of the survey obtained are 3 constructs and 8 latent variables (as mentioned) to assess the quality of e-Government services.
Phase 2: After having made lists of constructs and variables, the researcher tested the variable by conducting a second survey. The purpose of this phase was to pre-test the questionnaires to determine whether they were suitable. The survey was conducted by sending questionnaires to 130 participants at the 2013 ICEG conference. This is an academic conference on e-Government, whose participants include professors, faculty members, PhD students and experts on e-Government, Government CIOs and IT professionals. The participants had come from all parts of the world including Australia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, USA and Vietnam.
After having specific variables and pre-tested questionnaire by the survey in phase 2, study switched to phase 3. The purpose of the third phase was to collect data in Japan by conducting a survey of 350 participants at the annual IAC conference in 2012 and 2013. The participants were government officers who worked in the Ministry of Information and Communication in Japan as well as Local Government officers; other participants were experts on information technology, and CTOs who worked in corporations and large IT companies. The questionnaire was designed online and sent directly to the participants via email. The purpose of this phase was to assess the variables using available data, in order to draw relevant conclusions for the development of e-Government and the impact of key factors on the quality of e-Government services.
In order to ascertain the perspectives of Vietnamese people in evaluating e-Government service quality, the fourth phase of the research was conducted in Vietnam. The participants in the survey were government officers working in a government center such as the Vietnam Authority of Information Technology Application - Ministry of Information and Telecommunication (AITA-MIC Vietnam), Ministry of Construct (MoC). Local government
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agencies such as the Haiphong Department of Information and Communications, and the Danang Department of Information and Communications, the two local government departments in which online public services are being developed.
Furthermore, the Business Customer Center – the Viettel Corporation which has a department of e-Government research and development – was also included in the survey.
Taking the same form as Phase 3, the questionnaire in phase 4 was sent directly via email to the participants in order to collect data. The questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese before sending. In this phase, questionnaires were sent to approximately 400 people in order to know the perspective of Vietnam on e-Government. The purpose of this phase was to obtain data on the development of e-Government services in Vietnam in order to determine whether selected variables are significant for promoting e-Government and its quality in Vietnam.
Thus, the survey was conducted in four phases in order to derive the best and most reasonable database to serve the purpose of assessing the quality of services as accurately as possible, using data obtained in Japan and Vietnam. Table 5-1 below describes the constructs, items, number of questions for each item and the references.
Constructs (4) Items (8) Questions
(38) Sources/ References
Service Quality (3)
PEOU 3 Davis (1989), Abdel
(2012)
Promotion 3 Self-developed,
Waseda Ranking
PU 3 Davis (1989), Abdel
(2012) Information Quality
(2)
Trust & Security 3 Sohn and Tadisina (2008)
Contents 3 Cai et al. (2003)
Organizational Quality (3)
Leadership 4 Waseda Ranking,
Self-developed
Policy 3 Self-developed
CIO 4 Waseda Ranking,
Clinger Cohen 2012,
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Self-developed Perceived e-Government Service Quality 3 Allard et al. (2003)
Total: 38
Table 5-1: Questionnaire Constructs, Items and Sources91
5.2.2. Research Interview
In addition to the four stages of data collection using the questionnaire, this research also included another step to consolidate the data, variables, hypothesis, and the evaluation of the overall approach model which consisted of direct interviews with experts. Respondents included four professors at the PhD Colloquium session in the seminar on e-Government - ICEGOV 2014 - which took place in Guimaraes, Portugal. The other participants were government officers who worked in government agencies, including: Vietnam Authority of Information Technology Application – Ministry of Information and Communications of The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (AITA – MIC Vietnam), Viettel Corporation, Ministry of Health, ASEAN CIO & CSO Academy, Haiphong Department of Information and Communications, Office of National Assembly Vietnam, Authority of Telecommunications, MIC Vietnam, and Information Technology Park, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (ITP).
The interview process is divided into two main types: Type 1 is the personal interview, while the second type involves group discussion. During the process of collecting data for this research through interviews, two group interviews and twelve individual interviews were held.
A total of 20 experts were interviewed in order to once again reaffirm the variables, data, test models and hypothesis upon which the research was based. The results of the surveys and interviews will be discussed in detail in the following section.
Of the two group interviews, the first group included four professors from the seminar on e-Government, ICEGOV, which was held in 2014 in Guimaraes, Portugal. The second group included three experts who were managers of specialized department from Vietnam Authority of Information Technology Application – Ministry of Information and
91 Source: Author
153
Communications. The format for the group discussions was selected as follows: the authors began by presenting a summary of the research: research methodology, approaches, framework models, hypothesis and findings. Then members of the group discussed and offered recommendations for the research in turn.
For the personal interviews, structured interviews were selected, with the questions for the interview being established in advance according to a certain pattern. The interviews were conducted through set questions. Before the interviews, the questions had also been sent to the interviewees via email to enable them to understand the topics to be addressed in the interview.
In total, 20 people were interviewed, including 16 government officers in Vietnam and four professors who attended ICEGOV 2014 in Guimaraes, Portugal.