Influence of project risk factors and self-efficacy on the perception of risk in troubled IT projects

Past studies have indicated that if project managers are able to perceive project risks accurately, they may be less likely to continue failing IT projects. A computer simulation based experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of individual self-efficacy and project risk factors on the perception of risk in failing IT projects. Results indicated that project managers with higher self-efficacy are likely to perceive the risks of a failing project to be lower compared to those with lower self-efficacy even though same information about project progess was provided in both conditions. Further, the results suggested that project managers are likely to underestimate the risks of a project with endogenous risk factors as compared to a project with exogenous risk factors

The Informing Science Framework: An Assessment and Implications for the Discipline of Information Systems

The discipline of Information systems has established itself as an independent discipline now. However there are criticisms of it being fragmented and there being a lack of pluralistic approaches of inquiry. The Informing Science framework conceptualizes Information Systems as a part of the growing discipline of Informing Science and proposes to draw upon the other disciplines that share the common goal of informing the client. This paper assesses the strengths and weaknesses of this framework. While cautioning against indiscriminate borrowing of concepts from other disciplines, the paper suggests that the principles of General Systems Theory may be quite useful in conceptualizing and enriching Information Systems. It suggests that pluralism should not be considered a sign of disorder. Homogeneity may be desired but it may also be a sign of a closed system whereas heterogeneity is a characteristic of any open, growing system