Building Change-Readiness Capabilities in the IS Organization: Insights From the Bell Atlantic Experience.

Author List: Clark, Charles E.; Cavanaugh, Nancy C.; Brown, Carol V.; Sambamurthy, Vallabh;

MIS Quarterly, 1997, Volume 21, Issue 4, Page 425-455.

Change-readiness is the ability of an information systems (IS) organization to deliver strategic IT applications within short development cycle times by utilizing a highly skilled internal IS workforce. This paper examines two important questions: What are the design elements of a change-ready IS organization? How can transformations to such designs be effectively managed? Insights to these questions are generated through a case study of the conceptualization and implementation of an innovative organization design within a large IS unit at Bell Atlantic, a Regional Bell Operating Company. First, a rich description is provided of the components (strategy, structure, processes, people skills, reward systems) of a centers of excellence (CoE) design that has yielded measurable gains in IS performance. Then, an analysis of the two-year implementation of this CoE design is provided in terms of anticipated and unanticipated change actions, as well as a summary of "lessons learned." The conclusion describes the design as a model worthy of consideration by other IS managers for developing change-readiness IT capabilities. Comparisons with other models for the IS organization are then drawn.

Keywords: IS staffing.; issues in organizing IS; Structure of the IS function

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List of Topics

#119	0.224	implementation systems article describes management successful approach lessons design learned technical staff used effort developed organization experiences large managing discusses
#246	0.126	strategic benefits economic benefit potential systems technology long-term applications competitive company suggest additional companies industry operating costs difficult substantial total
#270	0.122	design designs science principles research designers supporting forms provide designing improving address case little space criteria methods increasing synthesis designer
#59	0.108	capabilities capability firm firms performance resources business information technology firm's resource-based competitive it-enabled view study value infrastructure results organizational model
#277	0.083	structure organization structures organizational centralized decentralized study organizations forms decentralization processing communication sharing cbis activities appropriate provide identify organizing communications
#240	0.060	systems information management development presented function article discussed model personnel general organization described presents finally computer-based role examined functional components