Nudging digital transformation: behavioral economics approaches to e-government adoption in the European Union with implications for Romania
Nudging digital transformation: behavioral economics approaches to e-government adoption in the European Union with implications for Romania

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the application of behavioral economics principles to digital government adoption across the European Union in 2024, with specific implications for Romania and Eastern Europe. Despite increasing investments in digital infrastructure and services, individuals’ adoption of e-government solutions remains uneven across Europe, with behavioral barriers often overlooked in technology adoption strategies. The study employs comparative analysis of existing data from the EU Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), national digital government initiatives, and published case studies to identify effective behavioral interventions. The research aims to identify critical behavioral techniques driving digital adoption in European public administration, including pre-filled forms, user support, mobile centricity, and transparency by design. Findings reveal important considerations for Romanian public administrators seeking to accelerate digital government adoption through behavioral approaches. This paper contributes to the ongoing research in the field of behavioral public administration by analytically comparing successful behavioral strategies in the European digital government context and proposing similar strategies to be applied in Romania's ongoing digital transformation efforts.

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