An ES process framework for understanding the strategic decision making process of ES implementations

Enterprise systems (ES) implementations are regarded costly, time and resource consuming and have a great impact on the organization in terms of the risks they involve and the opportunities they provide. The steering committee (SC) represents the group of individuals who is responsible for making strategic decisions throughout the ES implementation lifecycle. It is evident from recent studies that there is a relationship between the decision making process and ES implementation success. One of the key elements that contribute to the success of ES implementations is a quick decision making process (Brown and Vessey, 1999; Gupta, 2000; Parr, et al., 1999). This study addresses the strategic decision-making process by SC through its focus on four research questions (1) How can the strategic decision-making process in the implementation of ES be better understood, during each phase of the ES implementation lifecycle? (2) What is the process by which the SC makes strategic decisions? (3) How are fast decisions made? and (4) How does decision speed link to the success of ES implementation? Process models of ES implementation will provide a framework to investigate the strategic decision making process during each phases of the ES implementation lifecycle. Patterns in the decision making process will be explored using strategic choice models. This study develops a research model that focuses on the decision making process by steering committee to explore research questions. It concludes with identifying contributions to both IS research and business practitioners

How Can Steering Committees Manage Change Through Dynamic Capabilities to Increase System Satisfaction?

Enterprise-wide system implementations require organizations to think differently about how they approach project-based IT governance. Companies typically use executive steering committees to govern IT projects; yet, problems with user satisfaction linger. While scholars and practitioners have some understanding of what make steering committees successful, we do not fully understand what capability levers are available. This study contributes to the limited research on how project-based IT governance can manage change to achieve higher satisfaction with system usage. We find that steering committees can be more effective by stacking business IS capability with powerful antecedents of innovative culture and capable champions. Second, we find that business IS competence mediates the effects of innovative culture and capable champions on system quality. Third, we take a step forward in developing a change model based on dynamic capability for IT governance. We suggest several implications for practice and theory of project-based IT governance

INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLANNING IN THE COMPETITIVE ERA: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLANNING PARAMETERS AND IS PERFORMANCE IN INDIAN ORGANIZATIONS

Growing competition and increasing Information Technology (IT) competence have led organizations in India to leverage IT as a strategic resource for creating competitiveness. The emerging role of IT has major implications on Strategic IS Planning (SISP) in the competitive era. The objective of the paper is to investigate the relationship between information systems planning parameters and IS performance in Indian organizations. Based on longitudinal case studies of three Indian organizations from diverse industries, we investigate five key planning parameters- BP-ISP (Business Planning - Information System Planning) alignment, formalization, implementation plan, user involvement and role of IS function and relate them to the IS performance of the organizations. Our research reveals that organizations in India are able to achieve strategic advantage through IT by integrating IS planning with business planning, including implementation plan as part of the strategy and better management of user involvement. Based on the analysis, we present a set of lessons for effective IS strategy planning in developing countries, along with directions for further research

KM governance:the mechanisms for guiding and controlling KM program

Purpose: To establish and sustain their KM programs organizations need to establish mechanisms to ensure their governance. KM programs require business integration, senior management involvement and decision making authority. The present research investigates the KM governance mechanisms organizations use to guide and control their KM programs. The research seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the governance of KM and to support organizations in the development of their KM programs. Methodology: The study employs multiple case research methodology to analyze the KM governance arrangements of twelve international organizations and identify patterns in their governance configurations. Findings: The analysis identifies a range of structural, process and relational mechanisms that are critical for governing an organizational KM program. Different patterns among the KM governance mechanisms are identified which lead to the development of generic KM governance typologies. Research implications: The development of the KM governance framework allows future research to systematically investigate the KM governance phenomenon. As the present study is based on a configurational analysis future research should particularly target the performance implications of different KM governance configurations. Practical implications: The research provides insights into the diversity of KM governance mechanisms and their impact on a KM program. The KM governance framework can assist managers in reviewing their present and prospective KM programs and thereby support benchmarking or re-organization efforts. Originality: Building on prior research that has focused on individual KM governance aspects, the present study adopts a comprehensive perspective integrating structural, process and relational governance mechanisms

A Socio-Technical Model for Project-Based Executive IT Governance

Effectuating enterprise systems success through project-based, executive IT governance in the form of steering committees is a complex and multi-leveled challenge. Insight into the design of steering committees and what interrelated governance components are required is very limited. We propose a multi-leveled model to design effective steering committees. We develop this theoretical model and surmise that our project-based IT governance model offers more effective control. This proposition was developed using a sequential mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative and quantitative inquiry, and empirical research. We articulate a theoretical model informed by the punctuated socio-technical change model, which synthesizes the dynamic capabilities and other components that influence steering committee performance. We find steering committees can achieve implementation success by balancing dynamic capabilities, structure, processes, and objectives. Contrary to common expectations, we learn that balanced, dynamic and agile steering committees are more effective than those that follow stale, procedural or routine approaches

Information Technology Governance by Design: Investigating Hybrid Configurations and Integration Mechanisms

This study aims to enrich and expand the conceptualization of IT governance by identifying the diversity of hybrid configurations and integration mechanisms and exploring the IT performance effects. While literature describes the prevailing configurations for formally allocating IT decision-making authority, previous studies have not addressed the complexity of hybrid configurations, the required integration mechanisms, and the associated performance effects. Building forth on organization theory, a conceptual framework is developed for conducting multiple comparative case study research in the financial services industry. The findings indicate that as companies experience increased uncertainty and complexity, and adopt multi-focused strategies, IT governance designs are more hybrid with increased coordination needs. A federal configuration for IT governance by itself is not related to improved IT performance. IT performance effectiveness is associated with both hybrid configuration and complex integration mechanisms. The implications for research and practice are discussed

Agility matters! Agile Mechanisms in IT Governance and their Impact on Firm Performance

With significant advancements in digital technologies, firms find themselves competing in an increasingly dynamic business environment. It is of paramount importance that organizations undertake proper governance mechanisms with respect to their business and IT strategies. Therefore, IT governance (ITG) has become an important factor for firm performance. In recent years, agility has evolved as a core concept for governance, especially in the area of software development. However, the impact of agility on ITG and firm performance has not been analyzed by the broad scientific community. This paper focuses on the question, how the concept of agility affects the ITG–firm performance relationship. The conceptual model for this question was tested by a quantitative research process with 400 executives responding to a standardized survey. Findings show that the adoption of agile principles, values, and best practices to the context of ITG leads to meaningful results for governance, business/IT alignment, and firm performance