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The purpose of this paper is to present a mapping of the evolution of the United Nation's (UN's) e‐Readiness assessments. The mapping highlights underlying assumptions and frames a set of recommendations for new secondary indicators to strengthen e‐Readiness indices.

This exploratory case study applies triangulated document review for the analysis.

The UN's e‐Readiness assessments have evolved from a focus on Member State governments as “controllers of information and services” to “facilitators of information”. The mapping highlights the dynamic nature of understanding of e‐Government and the role of information and communication technologies in transformation efforts. It also allows for new understanding of the influence of context‐dependent imperatives, rankings, views and suggestions on Member State efforts to leverage technology toward the realization of transformation agendas. Framing assumptions for issue‐based UN surveys pose a series of limitations in terms of interpreting the results. The case study highlights the evolutionary character of the e‐Readiness assessment efforts and provides new insight for governments that rely on the assessments for decision making and planning.

The UN e‐Readiness assessments serve as a widely used point of reference for government officials, public administrators and researchers around the world. This study provides them with new understanding of the evolution of perspectives which frame and the tools used to assess e‐Readiness.

The paper provides an original examination of the evolution of perspectives and tools used in UN's e‐Readiness assessment efforts. This examination supports the identification of a set of secondary indicators in the form of a risk‐to‐reward indicator, an adoption indicator and a satisfaction indicator, to better inform and strengthen the UN e‐Readiness indices.

The purpose of this paper is to assess e-readiness (preparedness) of the Copperbelt University (CBU) with a view to ascertain the likelihood of the university benefiting from various opportunities unlocked by the adoption and use of ICT in advancing its core mandate of teaching, learning and collaborative research.

The study used the network readiness model emanating from the socio-technical theory, which underpins the extended technological enactment framework. Further, it employed a positivist approach and adopted a case study method coupled with methodological triangulation at data collection stage. With a 95 per cent confidence level of a possible sample frame of 2,980, the study sampled 353 respondents with a response rate of 81 per cent.

The results show that anticipated ICTs users have not leveraged available ICT infrastructure or are unaware of its existence. Further, quantitative constructs: “accessibility to ICTs” and “requisite ICTs skills” has significant impacts on e-readiness indicators and in integration of ICTs in CBU core business activities. Also, the study argues that institutional ICT policy and working environments reshape users’ perception of ICTs for teaching, learning and research.

The proposed conceptual framework only accounted for 43 per cent variance of the factors determining e-readiness of CBU.

Investigating CBU’s e-readiness will enable policy-makers to prioritise interventions needed for transforming the university into an e-ready entity favourably placed to benefit from digital opportunities. Also the emanating conceptual framework is important to theory and practice in integrating ICTs universities business value chains especially in contextually similar environments.

The paper aims to present the e‐readiness status of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector in Botswana and make comparisons with global trends.

The paper is based on a doctoral project that was carried out at the University of Johannesburg from 2002 to 2005. A qualitative approach was employed using both focus group discussions and in‐depth interviews to collect data.

The findings revealed that SMEs in Botswana, like their counterparts in most developing countries, had not achieved a reasonable measure of e‐readiness status compared to the developed world.

There is paucity of research on the e‐readiness of SMEs in developing countries, especially with respect to information access. Furthermore e‐readiness, being a new phenomenon, does not yet have an established theoretical basis and a universally acknowledged definition.

This study presents a framework that has the potential to assist governments, especially in the developing world, to make informed ICT investment decisions that will enable SMEs to penetrate the international electronic business environment. Moreover, the findings provide a lens through which SMEs, especially in developing world, would benchmark their e‐readiness status against the best in the world and effectively undertake corrective measures.

The existing e‐readiness measurement tools are largely quantitative and only address the qualitative dimension of the phenomenon in a limited way. In addition, the tools focus more on ICT, business, policy and legislative framework and underplay the information access factor. Furthermore, whereas e‐readiness research is increasingly populating development, IT and business literature, little is happening within the information science discipline. Finally, most e‐readiness studies have confined to macro (national) assessments and ignored sectoral‐level environments.

Electronic readiness (e‐readiness) presents a measure to which an organisation or business may be ready, prepared or willing to obtain benefits which arise from the digital economy. In this context, an advanced state of organisational e‐readiness is needed for businesses to expand domestically and internationally; to compete readily in the global open market. It is therefore imperative that organisations align their business strategies with e‐readiness strategies. This paper aims to focus on these issues.

The paper investigates the initiation, development and practice of e‐readiness of nations, and presents a case for possible adoption for the built environment area. By combining key indicators of e‐readiness of nations and achieving business success and competitive advantage, the pervasiveness of e‐readiness within the built environment arena is determined. The validity of this initial research is further endorsed through industry collaboration research.

The relationship between people, process, and technology are common themes and enablers of e‐readiness. In this respect, built environment organisations are no different. These elements are highly interrelated, as developing competence in one element must be accompanied by improvement in the others. Contextually therefore, the key elements of organisational e‐readiness should embody each nation's (national) e‐readiness reports, rankings, assessments and measuring tools as their fundamental building blocks.

This paper presents an argument that the industry needs to adopt a “measured approach” to help them be “e‐ready” – the rubrics of which should be augmented through some form of a practical framework which allows them to measure their e‐readiness capability. This paper postulates that any such model should embrace both the “hard” and “soft” issues associated with people, technology, and process.

The purpose of this study is to assess the e-readiness status of libraries in the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in terms of four dimensions – human resources, electronical infrastructure, network services and programs and enhancers of the networked world.

The study population consists of 11 libraries of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, including the central library and 10 faculty libraries. The data collection instrument is a questionnaire prepared by the researchers that has been designed on the basis of the “e-readiness assessment of Iranian academic libraries model”. Depending on the respondents there are three parts to the questionnaire: questionnaire for managers, staff and information and communication technology (ICT) officials. Their reliability and validity have been proved.

The libraries of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences had an average to high status in terms of “human resources” with a score of 2.32, “electronic infrastructure” with a score of 2.48, “network services and programs” with a score of 2.09 and “networked world enhancers” with a score of 2.37 out of 4. In total, these libraries had an average to high status in terms of e-readiness, with a score of 2.29.

The findings of this study can help the library administrators and officials of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences to plan improvements to the situation of ICT.

The paper's aim is to create a framework for national readiness and receptivity to e‐commerce at both the business to business (B2B) as well as business to consumer (B2C) levels.

Relevant literature on e‐readiness is discussed in light of research on corruption and national values. A model is formulated at the macro level in which e‐readiness is predicted to be related to national culture values and corruption. Analysis at the micro level rests on existing literature related to trust and web site usability.

At the macro level of analysis, levels of perceived corruption within a country, and overarching national values are identified as significant contributors to e‐readiness especially in the B2B realm. At a more micro level, it is proposed that individual expectations regarding ability to trust an online vendor, and the suitability of usability characteristics of web site design contribute to e‐readiness at the B2C level. Taken together, macro and macro factors jointly contribute to a nation's readiness and receptivity to e‐commerce.

The empirical work presented is based on aggregate level data from only one point in time. Results only provide generalized trends that may not be representative of all firms in a country or still applicable in the present time.

Practitioners are challenged to think beyond technological readiness and address factors such as corruption, national culture, and web design before entering new markets.

This paper identifies aspects of e‐readiness beyond purely technical infrastructure and provides a fresh empirical model. This study uniquely considers both micro and macro level characteristics that contribute to e‐readiness.

The purpose of this paper is first to construct an e‐publishing model and then to implement the model in Iranian publishers.

This article critically tries to evaluate Iranian publishing companies involved in e‐publishing based on a new model which is made in this paper. Moreover, it has tried to investigate the readiness of the society and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance as a legislator toward e‐publishing. Furthermore, some suggestions to remove challenges toward e‐publishing based on the findings will be made.

A new e‐publishing readiness model is made based on e‐readiness prior models. Based on the new model, the e‐publishing readiness level of Iranian publishing companies is evaluated. It was found that, to improve e‐publishing, it is necessary to have a holistic view toward the model in a way that considers all dimensions of e‐publishing. Furthermore, it was found that in some constructs like technical infrastructure, social, and economical and financial constructs, Iranian publishers did not enjoy a good status, while in other factors this was better. Consequently, based on these finding, some suggestions are made toward improving the e‐publishing readiness level of Iranian publishers.

This research is probably the first to support the perspective of critical issues regarding e‐readiness assessment in publishing companies based on macro models. It will give a good insight which it is expected could be helpful for managers to consider the critical issues with respect to e‐readiness assessment of their organization in an effective way.

Two main types of models are used worldwide in consideration of the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) processes in construction: capability maturity models (CMM) and e‐readiness models. The purpose of this paper is to review the structure behind the different models, their applicability to construction and indicate how organisations move between the levels in a CMM.

This study investigates the literature behind eight e‐readiness models and 53 CMMs.

The findings indicate 88 per cent of maturity‐based CMM models linked to five maturity levels, with the remainder using four. CMMs have common features: the process/application is described by maturity levels; Key Process Areas (KPA) provide the features to allow movement; and the levels are arranged and attained systematically, lowest to highest. Publication dates and trends indicate the rate of CMM publication is increasing (most in 2009), conversely, e‐readiness models are not (most published in 2004).

It is expected that the number of CMMs will increase; conversely, e‐readiness models may not. E‐readiness models have not been adopted by other industries and applications. However, CMMs, although initiated in software engineering, have progressed to incorporate construction models which cover processes as diverse as financial management and documentation. This suggests that a CMM is more applicable for applications such as e‐business in construction.

The paper significantly expands that of Man in 2007 who listed 22 CMM models. This paper categorises a further 31 models and indicates construction applicability, combined with a review of e‐readiness models for the first time.

To show how e‐readiness indicators, specifically the Networked Readiness Index (NRI), participate in the work of defining policy problems.

The article critically examines the Networked Readiness Index in terms of its presentation and its underlying model. It relies on an approach to policy analysis that views policy problems as socially constructed.

E‐readiness assessment tools purport to show how ready the nations of the world are to exploit the potential of new information and communication technologies. Yet they do more than that; being actively engaged in constructing policy problems. In the case of the NRI, the problem of the international digital divide is defined in a particular way that privileges certain interests while at the same time legitimatizing its inclusion on the agenda of international organizations as a problem worthy of sustained attention.

The findings of the article suggest a need for alternative indicators that register the voices of a wider range of groups and could therefore create a more inclusive digital divide policy problem.

Little critical (as opposed to technical) analysis of e‐readiness indicators exits in the literature. By focusing on these tools, the article contributes to the debate surrounding the issue of the digital divide.

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine and evaluate the “E-Readiness” of the citizens of India which is imperative to make such large scale e-government initiatives a success. The researchers tried to compare India with some developed and developing countries where the e-government model have been implemented successfully, looking at the prime factors for the successful implementation.

The methodology adopted for this study is exploratory in nature. A comprehensive questionnaire was adapted and the survey was conducted mostly in online format. The data were found reliable for further analysis. Exploratory factor analysis provides us five factors covering approximately 50 per cent of the variance explained. So, the authors can infer five dimensions to be the major constituents of e-readiness as per this study.

The findings are quite significant as end users and citizens were found to be quite involved in the usage of technology. Thus, user’s proactive participation in technological assimilation also augurs well for the e-readiness of the society. But people are worried about the safety and security of the automated and online services.

The questionnaire was developed by the authors and the data analysis was also done on the basis of responses received. The paper adds value to the existing literature by capturing the issues behind the acceptance of the several technologies backed government initiatives. The authors believe that the findings will help the government to implement digital initiatives with more success.