A comprehensive conceptual model of digital transformation in public services: exploring key factors and their impact on government success

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between Digital Transformation and Government Success through a structural model which combines UTAUT and GAM theory concepts with variables such as perceived awareness, availability of resources (AOR), perceived information quality (PIQ), trust, perceived service response, performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. The research confirms these determinants in the Saudi Arabian public sector through an online survey of 309 Saudi citizens living in different parts of the Kingdom, using SmartPLS 4.0 for robust partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis to uncover complex construct-level relationships. The analysis of the data shows that performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI) and facilitating conditions (FC) have a significant impact on government success in Saudi Arabia. The bootstrapping analysis shows how these factors positively affect attitude, which in turn affects behavioral intention (BI). The research highlights the essential nature of these exogenous variables especially when considering sustainable cities and societal advancement because they play a crucial role in public sector success. The research develops an empirical model that identifies the specific factors affecting Government Success and provides detailed managerial recommendations for improvement that support sustainability goals. Therefore, enhancing factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions will collectively promote citizen engagement and adoption of digital services, thereby advancing Saudi Arabia’s smart-city initiatives and supporting its broader sustainability goals outlined in Vision 2030.