Discusión

This thesis is divided into nine chapters, each chapter standing in its own right, with the initial chapters offering the background to this study and presenting an overview of the research aims and objectives.

The later chapters constitute a guide as to how the study was conducted, whilst the final chapters provide and analyse the information gathered and display the final results, analyses and conclusions of the study.

Table 1.4 provides a brief sketch of each of the nine chapters of this thesis.

Table 1.4: Thesis Structure

Chapter Chapter Description

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Research

Chapter One presents the background information and the purpose of this research along with the main objective and aims of the study. Highlighting the gap in literature and how this research can help and/or contribute, this thesis pinpoints the reasons for this study and explains how it is both significant and relevant. The hypothesis and the overall structure of the thesis are also discussed in the introductory chapter. Chapter 2: Literature Review: E-government, E-government experiences in the Arab region and barriers to successful implementation of E-government

This chapter offers an in-depth examination of secondary literature on E-government and what is meant by E-government and its definition. The difference between e-governance and E-government

is also briefly discussed. Why countries are adapting to E-government business models, what benefits E-government model

provides and what challenges have been encountered by other nations. Various models of E-government, stages of E-government, categories of E-government and key areas of E-government design and development is also discussed in this chapter.

This chapter, through extensive literature research, describes and discusses the implementation of E-government projects in countries across the world. The implementation of E-government in Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia and the Asia

Pacific region is discussed.

The issues specific to each E-government project are discussed. The relative success and failure of each regional government is discussed, and the various services they have offered over their tenure of E-government and the varied levels of success those services have had are also debated.

This section conducts a review of literature on the subject of barriers potentially obstructing E-government. The barriers discussed in the literature are identified in different sub-headings for the reader’s ease. The sub-headings unearthed from the literature in this section are subsequently used to formulate a theoretical framework, upon the basis of which empirical analysis was conducted.

Chapter 3:

Research Methodology

This chapter offers an explanation and justification of the research strategy. Following a detailed discussion of data-collection models, a justification is given with special focus on the sources from which information was obtained and on the selection of the sample of participants. The chapter ends with an explanation of the methods of data analysis adopted to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings and ultimately to provide research-backed answers to the questions raised in Chapter One.

Chapter 4: Conceptual Model

The conceptual framework section highlights a theoretical roadmap for the research questions to be addressed. It synthesizes the literature reviewed in the previous section whilst keeping in mind the research methodology to be employed, and it builds a basic model to consider the challenges in the implementation of E-government projects.

It also provides a roadmap, which is used in sections to build up a theoretical framework for use in the empirical analysis of subsequent sections to deduce the relevance of various factors examined with regards to the implementation of E-government projects. It also looks at the potential features of a future roadmap that could

potentially provide the foundations for the formation of E-government project plans and their smooth and seamless

implementation.

Chapter 5:

Theoretical Framework and Data Sources

The theoretical-framework section outlines the various research questions the thesis endeavours to answer. It gives the researcher’s views on what the expected results of empirical analysis on data will be. The theoretical framework also offers statistical models that were tested during the research through hypothesis testing via statistical tools. The theoretical framework also discusses the sample of users to be surveyed, the interviews, the design of the survey, the process of analysing the interviews, the design of the questionnaire, how the validity of results was tested and the ethical considerations to bear in mind when testing the survey and interview results.

Chapter 6:

Quantitative Analysis

This chapter deals with the quantitative analysis of data gathered through the various research methods. Rigorous regression analyses and tests have been conducted on the data to intuit results. The chapter examines the data gathered through the questionnaires and gives it meaning, transforming the raw data into meaningful results that will prove helpful for future studies and forms the basis of the analysis in this study.

Chapter 7:

Qualitative Analysis

This section of the thesis covers interviews conducted with mid-level and top-level management personnel who were part of the change process when incorporating various E-government projects. The section highlights and discusses the feedback attained through discussions with employees in Dubai Smart Government Department. It also correlates the views of employees with present literature and aims to highlight the salient features common across projects that lead to the success of E-government projects in Dubai.

Chapter 8: Discussions

The chapter holistically discusses the subject of E-government in Dubai; it gives the point of view of the author and his assessment based on both his primary and secondary research of the subject. The chapter discusses a potential roadmap for any future projects of E-government in Dubai, highlighting key factors, which require consideration, and the best industry practices which lead to successful E-government implementation.

Chapter 9: Conclusion and Recommendations

The final chapter of this thesis concludes the entire discussion, summing up the issue and identifying the limitations of this research. This chapter concludes the thesis by reiterating the initial hypothesis and examining the data in light of both literature and regression results concluded from primary research. It also discusses the potential future of E-government in Dubai, outlining the usefulness of this study and its contribution to future research. Finally, recommendations are made.

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