Developing the Digital Government Services Acceptance Model (DGSAM): A Framework for Enhancing Public Adoption of Digital Government Services in the UAE

The adoption of digital government services plays a critical role in advancing public sector transformation, yet existing technology acceptance models, such as the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), have limitations when applied to the complex ecosystem of digital government. These models often overlook key factors such as public value, trust, transparency, and the ethical use of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain, which are essential in the digital government context. This paper introduces the Digital Government Services Acceptance Model (DGSAM), developed by building on UTAUT and incorporating additional constructs relevant to the public sector. By integrating constructs like Perceived Public Value (PPV), Trust, Social Influence, and User Experience (UX), DGSAM offers a comprehensive framework to understand and enhance citizen engagement with digital government platforms. The paper outlines the theoretical basis for DGSAM, the systematic literature review guiding the selection of its constructs, and the hypotheses designed to test its applicability in digital government adoption scenarios. DGSAM provides both researchers and policymakers with a tailored tool for improving digital government services and boosting public adoption rates.