The goal of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect relationships that exist between artificial intelligence (AI), social innovation (SI), and smart decision-making (SDM). This study used a survey design and collected cross-sectional data from South Korea and Pakistan using survey questionnaires. Four hundred sixty respondents from the public and private sectors were obtained and empirically analyzed using SPSS multiple regression. The study discovered a strong and positive mediating effect of SI between the relationship of AI and SDM, as predicted. Previous researchers have investigated some of the factors that influence the decision-making process. This study adds to the social science literature by examining the impact of a mediating factor on decision-making. The findings of this study will contribute to the local government in building smart cities such that the factor of social innovations should be involved in the decision-making process because smart decision-making would share such collected data with entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries and would benefit society and all relevant stakeholders, including such social innovators.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been identified as a critical technology of Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) for protecting computer network systems against cyber-attacks, malware, phishing, damage, or illicit access. AI has potential in strengthening the cyber capabilities and safety of nation-states, local governments, and non-state entities through e-Governance. Existing research provides a mixed association between AI, e-Governance, and cybersecurity; however, this relationship is believed to be context-specific. AI, e-Governance, and cybersecurity influence and are affected by various stakeholders possessing a variety of knowledge and expertise in respective areas. To fill this context specific gap, this study investigates the direct relationship between AI, e-Governance, and cybersecurity. Furthermore, this study examines the mediating role of e-Governance between AI and cybersecurity and moderating effect of stakeholders involvement on the relationship between AI, e-Governance, and cybersecurity. The results of PLS-SEM path modeling analysis revealed a partial mediating impact of e-Governance between AI and cybersecurity. Likewise, moderating influence of stakeholders involvement was discovered on the relationship between AI and e-Governance, as well as between e-Governance and cybersecurity. It implies that stakeholders involvement has vital significance in AI and e-Governance because all stakeholders have interest in vibrant, transparent, and secured cyberspace while using e-services. This study provides practical implications for governmental bodies of smart cities for strengthening their cybersecurity measures.

The fundamental goal of this research is to investigate the quantitative relationship between technology-oriented knowledge management, innovation, e-governance, and smart city performance using knowledge management-based service science theory and diffusion of innovation theory. Previous research has found a connection between knowledge management, innovation, e-governance, and e-service delivery. We believe these are not only direct connections but also contextual and interactive relationships, so we explored the significance of innovation as a mediator between knowledge management and e-service delivery. Furthermore, we investigated the moderating impact of e-governance on the relationship between innovation and e-service delivery. A survey questionnaire was administered to the population of public officers, entrepreneurs, and citizens, from metropolitan cities for data sampling, and SPSS was applied to analyze data of 569 participants collected from South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, and Bangladesh. We discovered from the analysis that the direct relationships are contextual because innovation mediates the relationship between knowledge management and e-service delivery, and e-governance plays a moderating role in the relationship between innovation and e-service delivery. Based on the outcomes from quantitative analysis, all our proposed hypotheses in this study were supported significantly.

Plenteous research has been undertaken on the direct effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on smart decision-making. However, little attention has been paid to contextual factors such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart governance that mediate the relationship between AI and smart decision-making. This research investigates direct, mediating, and parallel-sequential multiple mediating interactions between AI, the IoT, smart governance, and smart decision-making. We used a self-structured survey to collect cross-sectional data from citizens in the Republic of Korea, and 516 responses were examined using SmartPLS structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). A parallel-sequential multiple mediator framework is assessed using the Hayes Process Model with bootstrapping. Our results reveal a substantial and favorable multi-mediating effect from the IoT and smart governance on the relationship between AI applications and smart decision-making, as predicted. Previous scholars have investigated a few factors that influence decision-making, but our research contributes to the literature of applied and social sciences, including traditional decision theory, by examining the impact of multi-mediating factors on smart decision-making. This study presents both theoretical and practical implications for scholars and policymakers engaged in the development of smart cities. Additionally, this study provides recommendations for future research.

E-government has developed the intention of achieving smart governance, and adoption of E-government has been recommended to eradicate corruption because it is perceived to be transparent and accountable. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the implementation of E-government in emerging economies is beneficial in eradicating corruption. The findings of this study, which employed a quantitative approach, demonstrated the significant ramifications of e-government in combating corruption. In Bangladesh and Pakistan, the implementation of E-government attempts to enhance behavioral intention by encouraging transparency and accountability in the fight against corruption. The modified version of the TAM model from previous research is proposed in this study. A total of 680 responses were examined using frequency, reliability, correlation, and multiple regression analysis, and Sobel test was employed for mediation analysis. The study finds substantial evidence for the positive role of E-government in terms of corruption reduction, with transparency and accountability also being impacted positively as mediators between E-government and the behavioral intention of users, and behavioral intention mediating the relationship between E-government and corruption reduction. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that E-government services, transparency, and accountability are significant predictors of corruption reduction. Finally, the paper illuminates E-government’s success in reducing corruption, which can pave the way for future research, and policy implications to government for corruption eradication are recommended.