Purpose—To illustrate the current state of mobile government (m-government) diffusion in Germany and to explain what makes public sector organizations differ in their adoption behavior.
Methodology/approach—Based on 12 semistructured interviews with municipal IT decision makers, we apply grounded theory and quantitative content analysis to derive a framework of drivers, inhibitors, and strategies for m-government adoption. After that, we select four comparative cases to examine the contextual differences between municipalities. Findings—Among the strongest perceived drivers for m-government adoption we find process improvements and citizen benefits; among the strongest inhibitors the ability to change and technical integratability. Furthermore, variance in the diffusion among municipalities can be attributed to contextual differences regarding financial situation as well as the mode of IT governance. Research limitations—The results may possess limited generalizability due to the case study approach taken and the focus on German municipalities. Further studies in other national contexts are strongly encouraged. Practical/social implications—Municipalities have the possibility to implement certain strategies such as intercommunal cooperation and increased citizen involvement to foster m-government diffusion. In doing so, information technology can serve as a driver of government transformation if responsibilities for IT and organization are effectively aligned.
