Inf Syst Front (2017) 19:285–300

295

Fig. 2 Validated Research Model

In rating the responses for items related to behavioral intentions, about 60 % respondents thought that transparency is
a central issue for public opinion in democracies, worldwide,
which enhances their interest in using open data (BI1). While
27 % people were neutral about it, about 62 % agreed that they
support transparency and are reassured by the presence of
such mechanisms, but their personal willingness to use open
data is not high (BI2). However, there were about 47 % respondents saying that the likelihood of them using open data
is very high (BI3, Table 16).

6 Discussions
Overall, it is apparent that the citizens are not convinced about
the level of transparency of open data and the government functions (Table 4, section 5.1). While the entire idea of accountability is questionable, people do believe that the corruption in the
government functions is persisting, if not rising. There is also a
general consensus on not being well informed about the benefits
of having access to open data. People need to be educated about
the existence and usefulness of such government data that not
only presents them with an opportunity to use such data in their
day-to-day decisions, but also gives them a free hand in being
involved in different policy making processes. Despite having
the willingness to contribute and interact with the government
via open data platforms for better policymaking, not many
Table 12 Frequencies for
relative advantage

people think they have the means to communicate with the
government (Table 5, section 5.1). Most of them find it hard
to identify and effectively use the tools/training that the government might be offering to increase citizen participation and their
understandability of the usefulness of open data.
Behavioural intention is perceived as an instinctive probability that a user relates directly with the possibility of a particular behavioural option being chosen (Chiu 2003). Many
models of innovation adoption and diffusion recognize behavioural intention as the best predictor of human behaviour (Lee
and Rao 2009; Ozaki 2011). Many studies of the past have
acknowledged the importance of relative advantage in consumers forming favourable use intentions towards a given
innovation. This attribute has marked its presence across varied innovation-types (Mallat et al. 2006, 2008; Schierz et al.
2010; Bae and Chang 2012; Jung et al. 2009; Chou et al. 2012;
Tapaninen et al. 2009). Based on the revelations and evidences from many such studies, it was expected that relative
advantage would have a significant impact on the behavioural
intentions of the users of open data. Completely in line with
the made proposition, H1, and the findings of the past studies,
this study saw a significant influence of relative advantage on
behavioural intentions of the consumers. This shows that
users have formed positive ideas about the probable usefulness of open data.
Reinstating the previously made comments about relative
advantage, joining the list is compatibility, with these two
factors being the most used attributes, and more often being
concluded as the prominent most contributing factors in the
adoption of internet-based technologies (Al-Jabri and Sohail
2012). Compatibility may refer to compatibility with existing
norms and values of the potential adopters, or may be a representative of its congruence with the existing practices of
those potential adopters (Tornatzky and Klein 1982). Past
studies have been vouching for more compatible innovations
capable of enhancing users’ competencies and determination
for using those and those-like innovations (Chau and Lai
2003; Lin 2011). With hypothesis, H2 turning out significant,
it can be concluded that more compatible open data is expected to positively influence citizens’ usage intentions. It can thus
be concluded that citizens prefer familiar platforms and easily
accessible open data that they can put to use in their
day to day decision making, or in just keeping themselves informed of government functions and different policy
changes affecting them.

Relative
advantage

Extremely
disagree

Disagree

Slightly
disagree

Neutral

Slightly
agree

Agree

Extremely
agree

RA1
RA2
RA3

3
3
2

3
12
4

22
38
41

138
185
128

189
146
175

119
104
132

42
28
34

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