Americas Conference on Information Systems AMCIS2009 San Francisco

摘要

IS projects continue to present a problematic endeavor for organizations. A high percentage of IS projects fail to meet efficiency metrics of on time, on budget, and on initial specifications. Even when projects meet these efficiency metrics, recent research and experience show that they fail to deliver business benefits. This paper presents an appreciative enquiry of a successful IS project that delivered an innovative business solution that was highly appreciated and valued by the business. Analysis of post-project data reveals the resemblance of the project practices with the creation of a collective mindfulness. It suggests that the project practices supported by an Agile software development method allowed the organization the opportunity to create a 'bubble' of collective mindfulness. This bubble of collective mindfulness had the capacity to sustain a high level of vigilance and sensitivity to business operations and needs which fostered business innovation and the delivery of a successful solution. The paper empirically contributes to the understanding of how IS project management could enable business innovation. Practitioners are invited to create a mindful organization for IS projects that embraces change and fosters business innovation.