Investigation of factors that strongly influence the outcomes ofinformation technology (IT) systems investments

摘要

Since the early 1960s, commercial computing has seen majoradvances in software engineering and management, enabling progressivelygreater outcome predictability of information technology businesssystems products (ITBSPs). However, IT systems investments (ITSIs) thatdepend on ITBSPs to achieve their goals, have not enjoyed a similarincrease in outcome predictability and acceptance. To better understandthis phenomenon, an in depth study of the experiences of 45 managers andconsultants covering 9 ITSIs across 6 organisations was conducted. Thesystems investments were selected as being either surprisinglysuccessful or surprisingly problematic. This paper discusses a modelthat integrates several findings about the type of work, evolutionaryphases, domains of activity and impact factors that influence theconduct and outcomes of ITSIs. The findings reported here were shared bysuccessful but not problematic IT systems investments. Guidelines fordefining and managing the work types reported here have also beendeveloped in the research and these are summarised