Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

The levels of organizational performance (OP) achievable from a dollar investment in information and communications technologies (ICT) remains elusive. A consensus exits among scholars and organizational leaders that effective use of ICT improves OP yet managers continue to struggle to justify investments in ICT. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore and explain how investments in ICT related with OP. The study built on the resource-based view of the firm theoretical framework. A key question in the study was whether there existed a consistent, positive correlation between ICT investments, decision-making performance, and OP, and if so, explain the interdependence among the predictor and outcome variables. The sampling frame for the research was the major nonprofit organizations in Kenya. Data were collected using a tested and validated measurement instrument, and analyzed using SPSS software. Correlation, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analyses were used for data analysis and interpretation. Results revealed that not all investments in ICT correlate positively with OP. In fact, investments in some ICT systems did not correlate at all with OP. This study has implications for positive social change, it facilitates informed decision making that saves resources and thus improves social good. The study is expected to contribute to the body of knowledge on the effect of investments in ICT on the effectiveness of decision making and OP.