PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

This research explores the influence of information and communication technology (ICT), globalization, and socioeconomic variables on the quality of governance (QoG) in various welfare settings within ASEAN nations. Employing a thorough comparative examination, the study classifies eight countries into welfare, aspiring welfare, and low-welfare categories. Data was gathered from 1996 to 2022, covering 27 years. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is utilized to evaluate the connections between factors. Principal discoveries demonstrate that globalization significantly enhances the QoG in welfare nations, while ICT adoption demonstrates mixed outcomes, adversely affecting human resources. Aspiring welfare nations gain from ICT in amplifying government spending but encounter challenges in the efficient execution of globalization procedures. Low-welfare nations display notable positive repercussions of globalization on both government spending and QoG, whereas ICT boosts the development of human resources. The fit indices of the model suggest differing degrees of model appropriateness across the categories, with welfare and aspiring welfare nations displaying superior fit when compared to low-welfare nations. These findings accentuate the need for context-specific strategies to optimize the advantages of ICT and globalization efficiently. Decision-makers in welfare nations should concentrate on merging global benchmarks and enhancing institutional frameworks to maximize ICT advantages entirely. Aspiring welfare nations require well-rounded approaches that tackle institutional deficiencies while encouraging technological advancement and global amalgamation. Low-welfare nations ought to prioritize the development of human resources and effective resource management to convert economic expansion into governance enhancements.