Does e-government contribute to a reduction of farmers’ administrative burden in Switzerland

Abstract

Since the shift to direct payments and the growing environmental regulations, the administrative costs for farmers and public administration have increased. The introduction of e-government changed the farmers’ working conditions. For this study, we examined how variables such as the ‘perceived organizational benefits’, ‘organizational characteristics’, ‘organizational usage characteristics’ and ‘perceived characteristics’ influence the administrative burden of Swiss farmers when using e-government. A quantitative survey, as well as qualitative open statements and in-depth interviews were analyzed for this purpose. We found that due to the transition from paper to electronic forms, the administrative workload of about one third of the farmers decreased. Attitude and the skills of the farmers seem to influence the administrative burden the strongest.