Convergence (i.e., mutual understanding) between an organization's CEO and CIO is critical to its efforts to successfully exploit information technology. Communication theory predicts that greater communication frequency and channel richness lead to more such convergence. A postal survey of 202 pairs of CEOs and CIOs investigated the effect of communication frequency and channel richness on CEO/ CIO convergence, as well as the effect of convergence on the financial contribution of information systems (IS) to the organization. Convergence was operationalized in terms of the current and future roles of information technology (IT) as defined by the strategic grid. Rigorous validation confirmed the current role as composed of one factor and the future role as composed of three factors (i.e., managerial support, differentiation, and enhancement). More frequent communication predicted convergence about the current role, differentiation future role, and enhancement future role. The use of richer channels predicted convergence about the differentiation future role. Convergence about the current role predicted IS financial contribution. From a research perspective, the study extended theory about communication frequency, media richness, convergence, and the role of IT in organizations. From a managerial perspective, it provided direction for CEOs and CIOs interested in increasing their mutual understanding of the role of IT.
Information technology (IT) changes rapidly, seriously challenging IT management. In response, many organizations create a formal group of IT professionals to evaluate emerging IT so they can better cope with its change. A survey based on structured interviews was mailed to a nationwide sample of 1,000 IT organizations. Two hundred forty-six respondents provided data to identify categories of coping mechanisms to handle changing IT. Five categories emerged: Education and Training, Internal Procedures, Vendor Support, Consultant Support, and Endurance. Organizations apply Education and Training more extensively than the others. Thus the research contributes to understanding the means by which organizations cope with rapid IT change. The research also found that organizations with a group dedicated to investigating emerging IT cope more extensively, but not more successfully, than do those without one. Thus the research contributes not only by providing an understanding of how organizations cope with rapid IT change, but also by suggesting the need to achieve more from the group charged with emerging IT.
Strategic information systems planning (SISP) has been defined as the process of identifying a portfolio of computer-based applications that will assist an organization in executing its business plans and realizing its business goals. SISP is an important activity for helping information executives and top management identify strategic applications and align IT with business needs. Previous researchers and practitioner observers have identified measures of successful SISP and have recommended many prescriptions for achieving success. In this research, the SISP experiences of 105 planners contribute a new perspective on these prescriptions and the success of SISP. Planners extensively follow the prescriptions that promote the efficient management of the SISP study. Although they also extensively follow those prescriptions that lead to their own greater satisfaction, they do not so rigorously follow those that meet SISP objectives. However, the fit between information technology capabilities and the needs of the organization is important to them. Furthermore, plan implementation remains critical to meeting SISP objectives. Combined, these generalizations suggest the central contribution of this research-planner's paradox: The planner must complete the SISP study rapidly to facilitate its implementation but in doing so risks compromising its fit to the organization and therefore reduces its chances of implementation. The planner must thus plan rapidly enough to produce the plan quickly but carefully enough to produce a relevant one.
Strategic information systems planning is the process of creating a long-range plan of computer-based applications to enable an organization to achieve its goals. Previous research has shown that many problems can potentially impede information systems planners as they carry out the process. The current study uses a survey of eighty information systems planners to investigate a causal relationship among the problems. It reveals a causal model describing (1) the influence of organization problems on hardware, cost, and database problems, and (2) the influence of organization, hardware, cost, and database problems on implementation problems. Cost problems had the largest direct effect on implementation problems.
The dynamic environment of an organization makes management difficult. This is especially true in information systems (IS) departments. A new theoretical model, based on structured interviews with IS executives, proposes ways that some dimensions of the environment create problems for IS management. IS managers develop coping mechanisms to attenuate or prevent these problems. They use these coping mechanisms either to resolve the problems directly or to influence the environment to prevent the problems. The new theoretical model facilitates an organized study of the relationship between the IS department and its dynamic environment.
This research investigated the effects of aggregation level on decision-making performance and confidence. The study made use of experienced territory managers as subjects. As part of their regular job responsibilities, they had all carried out a task closely resembling the one in this experiment. The research sought to identify patterns of decision-making suggesting that individual differences play an important role. With an average of 6.8 years of experience, 104 territory managers in a manufacturing firm planned the coming year's product distribution. Each manager received reports for two hypothetical territories that differed in their level of aggregation. Confidence in their plans was related to experience and to decision-making style, but not to preference. Decision-makers almost always preferred detailed data, while summary data appeared to better serve heuristic planners and detailed data better served analytic planners.
Strategic information systems planning (SISP) is the process of deciding the objectives for organizational computing and identifying potential computer applications which the organization should implement. This article gives a thorough definition of SISP and then illustrates it with three methodologies. A survey of 80 organizations examined the problems faced by information systems managers when they attempt to implement such a methodology. The subjects' overall satisfaction with the methodology, its resource requirements, process, output, and final execution were not particularly high. The two problems rated most severe were the difficulty in securing top management commitment for implementing the plan and the need for substantial further analysis in order to carry out the plan. The survey also investigated some potential causes of the problems. Survey results suggest that the SISP methodologies may often produce satisfactory plans but that organizations lack the management commitment and control mechanisms to ensure that they follow the plans.
Recent research has shown that the difficulty of convincing top management of the potential strategic impact of information systems impedes information systems planning. Interviews with 20 top information systems executives revealed reasons for this difficulty and techniques that they use in attempting to overcome it. The results suggest the importance of information systems executives' skills and activities necessary for the selling of information systems products and services. The research also raises three controversial questions for future investigators.
Twenty information resource managers employed by medium to large organizations in diverse industries were interviewed to discover their difficulties in learning top management's objectives and their techniques for overcoming these difficulties. The thirteen difficulties can be viewed as strategy formulation or strategy communication problems. The sixteen techniques can likewise be viewed as facilitating strategy formulation or strategy communication. The research revealed that participants in strategy formulation have no problem understanding top management's objectives while information resource managers who do not participate in strategy formulation do experience that problem. This article will review the growing importance of information in organizations and the need to integrate the objectives and strategy of the organization with those of the information function. The research methodology section will then discuss sample considerations and the structured interview process which was used to gather data. Following this, the results will be presented. The findings indicate that it is useful to view the difficulties as roadblocks to the formulation of the IS plan or to the communication of that plan. Several techniques for overcoming these difficulties wilt be outlined and the implications of these findings for research and practice will be discussed.