Intricacy of Indigenous Culture on Digital Government Adoption: A Systematic Review

Digital government and human development in low-income countries have consistently ranked the lowest on the United Nations index rankings despite recommended colossal investments into digital technology infrastructure. A number of studies that attempt to understand the dismal performances often cite culture, but few actually measure the effect of indigenous cultures. This article, therefore, conducted a systematic literature review to identify the gaps, challenges, and opportunities for research into the influence of indigenous cultures on digital government adoption. The findings suggest that the few studies that have investigated the influence of indigenous culture adopted Geert Hofstede's national cultural dimensions, which miss the richness and complexity of lived realities of indigenous culture. This article makes a novel contribution to information systems research by identifying a significant gap in the understanding of digital government adoption, particularly in low-income countries, by identifying the indigenous constructs of spirituality, communalism, and respect for elders and authority. The article further provides a framework for investigating the influence of indigenous cultures on digital government adoption in low-income countries. The article makes suggestions for the incorporation of indigenous cultures into digital government policies and makes recommendations for further research.