Does mobile government become an administrative burden for older adults?

Purpose The study explores how mobile governance affects the administrative burden on older adults, focusing on learning, psychological and compliance costs. Design/methodology/approach Using attribution theory, the research employs a quantitative research design, utilizing surveys to gather data from 516 older adults across three cities in China: Quzhou, Wuhan and Shanghai. The study examines how intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors of m-government interfaces impact older adults’ administrative burden. Findings Perceived complexity increases learning, psychological and compliance costs for older adults. Personalization and high-quality information decrease these costs, enhancing user satisfaction. Visual appeal decreases anxiety and psychological costs. Originality/value This research links attribution theory with m-government’s administrative burden on older adults, offering new insights into optimizing m-government to serve older adults better.