The influence of digital technology on public management reforms: The mediating effects of competence and inclusivity

The purpose of this study is to examine the role that digital technology (DT) plays in enhancing public management reforms in the local government institutions of a landlocked country: specifically, Uganda. The study used structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate the mediating effects of competence and inclusive policy from a survey data collected in 2021. It also analysed other latent variables in the model in order to present an empirical understanding of digitally-driven public management reforms. The aim is to provide a comparative analysis with other developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings show positive and significant relationships exist between DT and digitally-enabled public management reform (DEPMR). Moreover, there is a partial complementary mediation effect of competence in the DT-DEPMR relationship. However, inclusive policy does not have a mediating effect on the relationship.