The effect of ICT application on communication efficiency in the ministry of education, science and technology

Abstract

The study was on the effect of ICT application on communication efficiency in government offices: A case of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The objectives of the study were:(i) To establish the effect of ICT on information sharing among employees at the MOEST, (ii) To evaluate the effect of ICT on the efficiency of decision making process at the MOEST, (iii) To assess the impact of ICT on the knowledge sharing and management among employees at the MOEST and (iv) To determine the impact of the ICT use on the cost effectiveness of the communication among the employees at the MOEST. The study was guided by the theory of diffusion of innovation of information technology and socio-technical systems theory of acceptance. The study was based on a survey design. Questionnaires were administered to collect data from the respondents who were stratified into three groups comprising of the senior management, the middle level management and junior employees. The findings indicate that the adoption of ICT at MOEST has had an overall positive effect on the sharing of information among employees, the efficiency of making decisions and the knowledge sharing and management. However, ICT has increased the cost of purchasing of communication equipment. The research recommends that further studies should be carried out to investigate the effects of ICT on the communication efficiency of the MOEST and its customers. A wholesome understanding of ICT and communication efficiency at the ministry can only be understood if the customers served by the MOEST can be considered in the study