Types of E-Government on Cluster Analysis

Chapter 9 - Electronic Government in Japan: IT Utilization Status of Local Governments
Managing IT in Government, Business & Communities
by Gerry Gingrich (ed)
Idea Group Publishing 2003

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Local governments are classified by cluster analysis based on the answers for this questionnaire. The types classified are as follows:

Developing Group

This is the largest group consisting of 17 percent. Most IT items are behind others among that includes a low attitude towards digitalization. This group is ranked last out of the 10 in MADM analysis, so this group is considered to be most-developing.

Partially Addressing Group

This group accounts for 16 percent. Many staff have the opinion of "partially addressing digitalization." As for reflection of residents' opinions on the policy, it is also only partially committed. This group includes comparatively large governments, and a total of five government-designated cities in this group out of seven responded accordingly.

Noncommittal Addressing Group

This group accounts for 14 percent. Many staff have the opinion of "noncommittal addressing to digitalization." They seem to step forward at an average pace, watching other governments' performance.

Top Group

This group accounts for 14 percent. The introduction rate of electronic galleries, museums, and libraries is very high and the attitude toward e-procurement is positive. The staff's addressing attitude and PC diffusion rate are also very high. As prefectural capitals account for 74 percent of the eight governments, out of the governments ranked in the top 10 in the MADM analysis, this group is considered to be the most advanced group.

Group Which Attaches Importance to Services for Residents

This group accounts for 11 percent. The rate of introduction of e-libraries, considering information disclosure, on the Internet and planning of e-application are high. The rate of introduction of e-mail is 100 percent. This group is considered to be the one which attaches importance to services for residents.

Positive Attitude Group

This group accounts for 9 percent. The rate of introduction of e-mail, office LAN, e-galleries, museums and libraries are not high, but the staff's addressing attitude is fairly high. This group seems to have a potential to become advanced e-governments in the future.

Developing Group Which is Behind Others Except for LAN

This group accounts for 9 percent. All governments in this group have office LAN, but the rate of introduction for Internet service provision for residents, introduction of BPR utilizing IT, and introduction of e-reference of libraries are the lowest. The introduction rate of e-mail (42 percent) is second lowest beside the Internet connection rate, and the addressing attitude of middle management and ordinary employees is also low.

Preparing Digital Museum Group

This group accounts for 8 percent. It has the highest rate of experimenting with digital galleries, the second highest rate of implementing it, a comparably high introduction rate of digital libraries, and a high rate of introduction in public facilities utilization. But the rate of Internet application of information disclosure, reflection of residents' opinion, and addressing attitude of middle management are not so high.

Group Which has an Average Rate of PC Diffusion, but Advanced in Utilizing IT

This group is the smallest and accounts for only 4 percent, but it has the highest rate of Internet connection, electronic bulletin board introduction, public facilities utilization systems, document databases, electronic approval, electronic applications, GIS, reflection of residents' opinion, and BPR utilizing IT. All the governments have formulated digitalization plans and introduced office LAN and e-mail. The staff's addressing rate is very high and they are going to examine the system's operation completely. However, PC diffusion rate is average and they are not so interested in digital galleries and museums.

As for these groups classified by cluster analysis, the top three groups, Developing Group, Partially Addressing Group, and Noncommittal Addressing Group, account for 47 percent combined, and so it is considered that there are not so many advanced local governments in IT utilization as yet. But there are some which have started utilizing IT, such as the Top Group, Group which Attaches Importance to Services for Residents, Preparing Digital Museum Group, and Group which has an Average Rate of PC Diffusion but Advanced in Utilizing IT.

Judging from the results of this classification, the factor of the staff's attitude is very important. An advanced government is one whose staff's attitude is positive, and a backward government is one whose staff's attitude is negative.

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