Institutional determinants of smart government adoption: evidence from Thai public sector organizations

This study examines the determinants of smart government systems adoption among government officials in Thailand by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 450 public sector officials with prior experience in smart government services. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to assess factors influencing adoption behavior. The results indicate that managerial support, incentives, trust, security concerns, and information and communication technology (ICT) strategy significantly affect smart government adoption, although their relative influences differ. Drawing on TAM and UTAUT, the findings emphasize the roles of perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions, and institutional trust in shaping technology acceptance within the public sector context. This study contributes theoretically by extending TAM–UTAUT integration to the smart government domain and highlighting the importance of organizational and trust-related factors beyond individual-level perceptions. Empirically, it provides evidence from a developing-country public sector setting, focusing on government officials as both system implementers and end-users. Practically, the findings offer policy-relevant insights to support effective smart government implementation, inter-organizational collaboration, and digital service delivery.