Cameroonians' Perception of E-Government and Citizens' Involvement in the Public Policy Process

Most citizens of Cameroon live in poverty, while public officials embezzle public funds and engage in corrupt practices. Previous studies have shown that e-government has the potential to increase transparency and accountability in the provision of public services, with the aim of reducing corruption. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceptions of Cameroonians educated in the United States regarding the potential of e-government in Cameroon to provide public services and information, and their readiness for the use of e-government. Guided by Roger's innovation diffusion theory and Barber's strong democracy theory, the perceptions of these Cameroonians were also investigated regarding their readiness to (a) invest in Cameroon, (b) provide remittances (i.e., money and goods), (c) promote trade between the United States and Cameroon, and (d) transfer knowledge and technologies from the United States to Cameroon. A random sample of 1,446 participants was selected from the Cameroon Politics Yahoo Group mailing list; all were studying in or had studied in colleges and universities in the United States. A Likert-scale online survey was used to measure the perceptions of e-government's potential and perceptions of readiness among Cameroonians educated in the United States. Pearson's correlation and multiple regression statistical tests showed both positive perceptions of, and significant relationships between, the potential of e-government and of readiness. These findings may inform the Cameroon government of the value of using e-government and the readiness to use it, with the potential outcomes of increased citizen participation in the public policy process, to include increased government transparency and accountability.