Unpacking the Predictors towards Intention to Use Union Digital Center in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Exploration

This study aims to unpacking the drivers influencing the use intention behavior of the Union Digital Center (UDC) in Bangladesh by applying a qualitative technique. Existing research indicates that most existing studies on UDC services are based on the traditional framework that mainly emphasize the service-provider perspective rather than considering end-users views, expectations, and experiences. This gap emphasizes the continuing importance of exploring how users perceive the quality of UDC services and how these perceptions shape their use behavior. This study conducted in-depth interviews with end users of UDC (n = 26) and UDC professionals (n = 16), using purposive and convenience sampling. In-depth interviews offer opportunities to gain detailed insights into end users’ experiences and explore their perceptions of user engagement with UDC's digital services. The study employed thematic analysis, followed by grounded theory, to explain the state of use intention among end users of UDC and to establish a theoretical foundation for further inquiries. The findings suggest that the existing predictors may not be sufficient to explain the intention to use UDC services. The study explored two new predictors, ‘Service Availability’ and ‘Information Quality’, that play a crucial role in this regard. This study extends the existing knowledge in the e-governance literature by offering two new predictors of digital service use behavior from both user and service provider perspectives in Bangladesh, which could serve as a theoretical framework and be applied in different contexts worldwide.