Internet usage of local government employees: A study of the effect of individual preferences, group influences, and administrative factors

Using data from a survey, this study investigates how local government employees use the Internet to carry out their day-by-day work. Our survey reports that most employees use the Internet to download information, communicate, and perform routine tasks. Many of them use the Internet for personal purposes at work. We also test seven hypotheses to explore different variables that may explain the Internet use of government employees. The results show that individual acceptance of the Internet, perceived Internet importance to the work group's mission, and employer-provided training and technical support have a significant impact on their Internet usage at work. This note reports our preliminary findings from a large project to study the role and impacts of information technology in public organizations.