Much has been documented about the importance of effective strategic planning as a basis for an organisation to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Inadequate strategic planning is also widely recognised to be one of the major factors that contribute to the failure of most small organisations. At the same time, developing a strategy for an information technology organisation is increasingly becoming a complex exercise, considering the rate at which the field is growing and the need for organisations in this field to respond quickly to changing market demands. For large organisations, it may be a matter of ensuring that existing, tried and tested strategies are frequently updated. For small organisations on the other hand, this may be a nightmare of an exercise. In this research, the author explores a number of strategic planning approaches with the aim of identifying elements in them that could assist the strategy development process of a small information technology company. After a detailed analysis of conventional approaches to strategic management, it suggests a framework which uses the Core Competence Approach to strategy development as a basis. It is supplemented by selected techniques of Strategic Choice as a toolset for systematic decision-making within the strategy development process of a small information technology company. Also included, is a case study on the application and evaluation of the suggested framework for an initial strategy-development process at a typical small information technology company. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Abstract available from pdf file. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

Sharing and exploitation of information resources across a diverse organisation can confer a significant competitive advantage but also can be a substantial challenge in coordinating across structural and specialisation boundaries. This challenge reflects the difficulties traditionally associated with lateral relations, which were recognised by classical organisational theorists but are more pronounced with the emergence of information as a critical resource. Notwithstanding the benefits of information sharing across the organisation, the classical concept of specialisation remains fundamental to organisational theory; thus there is potential for friction between requirements for specialisation and coordination. This research therefore examines information management arrangements to balance specialisation and coordination in a diverse organisation. The research takes advantage of organisational and systems theory literature to appreciate complex information management requirements in terms of differentiation/cohesion and integration/coupling of organisational elements. Information management???s business and technology perspectives define the conceptual framework, within which gaps in the literature are identified and become the focus of the research. The two key research areas are the opportunities enabled by technology for business integration through collaborative decision-making and the management of organisation-wide information technology infrastructure. Collaborative decision-making is an integrating mechanism that can provide balance between specialisation and coordination contingent upon the nature of decision tasks and their organisational context. Propositions associated with an adaptive approach to collaborative decision-making were tested in laboratory experiments, with positive support for the contingency model albeit constrained by individual cognitive variances. Organisations increasingly are adopting centralised approaches to the provision of IT services, with IT governance as an integrating mechanism and a need for multiple business-IT alignments to add value according to the differentiation required by organisational elements. Propositions relating to the adaptation of IT management arrangements based upon organisational characteristics were tested using a multi- iv -discipline approach, which resulted in support for the model although practical difficulties were experienced in the action research component. This research provides a framework for maintaining effective variety of information capabilities commensurate with the diverse organisation???s mission and environment, while also exploiting the synergies and economies of shared information resources for holistic benefits.

Empirical studies into IT governance have considerably advanced our understanding of the mechanisms and practices used by contemporary organisations to govern their current and future use of IT. However, despite the progress made in identifying the various elements employed by contemporary IT governance arrangements, there has been relatively little research into the formulation of a holistic model of IT governance that integrates the growing collection of parts into a coherent whole. To further advance the concept of IT governance, the Viable Governance Model (VGM) is proposed. The VGM is a theoretical model of IT governance within a corporate setting that is based on the laws and principles of cybernetics as embodied in Stafford Beer's Viable System Model (VSM). Cybernetics, the science of control and communication in biological and artificial systems, establishes a firm theoretical foundation upon which to design a system that directs and controls the IT function in a complex enterprise. The VGM is developed using an approach based on design science. Given the theoretical nature of the artefact that is being designed, the development and evaluation activities are primarily conceptual in nature. That is, the development activity involves the design of a theoretical model of IT governance using theoretical concepts and constructs drawn from several reference disciplines including cybernetics, organisation theory, and complexity theory. The conceptual evaluation of the VGM indicates that the model is sufficiently robust to incorporate many of the empirical findings arising from academic and professional research. The resultant model establishes a "blueprint", or set of design principles, that can be used by IS practitioners to design and implement a system of IT governance that is appropriate to their organisational contingencies. Novel aspects of this research include: the integration of corporate and IT governance; the reinterpretation of the role of the enterprise architecture (EA) within a complex enterprise; the exposition of the relationship between the corporate and divisional IT groups; and the resolution of the centralisation versus decentralisation dilemma that confront designers of IT governance arrangements.

While there is significant evidence to suggest that the alignment of Human Resources (HR) and Information Technology (IT) has a positive impact on firm performance, there is little discussion on how to achieve alignment. Literature in both the HR and IT disciplines provides confirmation of the need to identify and address the people management issues in order to realise the expected returns from IT investments. This research will contribute to these discussions with insights into how an organisation with alignment between IT and HR might appear, who should be responsible for the alignment, and how enabling and inhibiting factors impact the alignment process.

This study was primarily an empirical investigation in the field of Information Systems (IS) and the related fields of occupational psychology and management. It focussed specifically on the concept of user satisfaction, the construct of cognitive style as applied to users and systems analysts, and their interrelationships. Prior studies were found rarely to investigate the changes in user satisfaction during system usage. Further, any reference to cognitive style in the IS literature proved to be sparse, open to question and discouraging in terms of its value. By developing and using a new instrument, the System Satisfaction Schedule, or SSS, the present study was able empirically to demonstrate clear patterns of changing user satisfaction during system usage. These were demonstrated, both as a general trend and in terms of its relationship to the cognitive styles of the key players (analyst and user) involved in system development and maintenance. Cognitive style was measured using Kirton's Adaption-innovation Inventory, or KAI. This study was thus able to suggest new rules for system development based on the assessments of the cognitive styles of both users and systems analysts. These rules focussed primarily on simple team choice: which analyst to put with which user. However, inferences for larger system development teams were drawn and suggestions for further research duly made. The present study thus also contributes to the successful practice of system development. To give effect to the above, this study set out to investigate empirically the way user satisfaction changes over 1½ to 2 years of system usage and, as mentioned above, the way user satisfaction is impacted by the cognitive styles of the user and the systems analyst. Most significantly, relationships were studied between user satisfaction and the difference in cognitive style between the analyst and user. It was found that user satisfaction generally rises linearly with usage, and that while the size of the analyst user cognitive differential does negatively impact user satisfaction over most of the time of system use, this effect is only particularly strong for two short periods; one within the first four months of usage and the other in the last three. From these results the new rules for system development mentioned above, followed. In terms of the decline of users' mean perceived severities of individual problems, the exponential decay and reciprocal models were found to fit the data the best. This study developed a new model for the motivation to use, develop or maintain a system (the Mechanical Model), based on its own results and Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation. In this, Herzberg's hygiene factors have been replaced with the concept of dissatisfiers. These are measured as expressions of dissatisfaction as and when they occur. Their use removes the researcher's need, when designing user satisfaction instruments, to speculate on complete lists of factors which may satisfy users, and which may date as technology and other contextual factors change.

Sharing and exploitation of information resources across a diverse organisation can confer a significant competitive advantage but also can be a substantial challenge in coordinating across structural and specialisation boundaries. This challenge reflects the difficulties traditionally associated with lateral relations, which were recognised by classical organisational theorists but are more pronounced with the emergence of information as a critical resource. Notwithstanding the benefits of information sharing across the organisation, the classical concept of specialisation remains fundamental to organisational theory; thus there is potential for friction between requirements for specialisation and coordination. This research therefore examines information management arrangements to balance specialisation and coordination in a diverse organisation. The research takes advantage of organisational and systems theory literature to appreciate complex information management requirements in terms of differentiation/cohesion and integration/coupling of organisational elements. Information management???s business and technology perspectives define the conceptual framework, within which gaps in the literature are identified and become the focus of the research. The two key research areas are the opportunities enabled by technology for business integration through collaborative decision-making and the management of organisation-wide information technology infrastructure. Collaborative decision-making is an integrating mechanism that can provide balance between specialisation and coordination contingent upon the nature of decision tasks and their organisational context. Propositions associated with an adaptive approach to collaborative decision-making were tested in laboratory experiments, with positive support for the contingency model albeit constrained by individual cognitive variances. Organisations increasingly are adopting centralised approaches to the provision of IT services, with IT governance as an integrating mechanism and a need for multiple business-IT alignments to add value according to the differentiation required by organisational elements. Propositions relating to the adaptation of IT management arrangements based upon organisational characteristics were tested using a multi- iv -discipline approach, which resulted in support for the model although practical difficulties were experienced in the action research component. This research provides a framework for maintaining effective variety of information capabilities commensurate with the diverse organisation???s mission and environment, while also exploiting the synergies and economies of shared information resources for holistic benefits.

Sharing and exploitation of information resources across a diverse organisation can confer a significant competitive advantage but also can be a substantial challenge in coordinating across structural and specialisation boundaries. This challenge reflects the difficulties traditionally associated with lateral relations, which were recognised by classical organisational theorists but are more pronounced with the emergence of information as a critical resource. Notwithstanding the benefits of information sharing across the organisation, the classical concept of specialisation remains fundamental to organisational theory; thus there is potential for friction between requirements for specialisation and coordination. This research therefore examines information management arrangements to balance specialisation and coordination in a diverse organisation. The research takes advantage of organisational and systems theory literature to appreciate complex information management requirements in terms of differentiation/cohesion and integration/coupling of organisational elements. Information management???s business and technology perspectives define the conceptual framework, within which gaps in the literature are identified and become the focus of the research. The two key research areas are the opportunities enabled by technology for business integration through collaborative decision-making and the management of organisation-wide information technology infrastructure. Collaborative decision-making is an integrating mechanism that can provide balance between specialisation and coordination contingent upon the nature of decision tasks and their organisational context. Propositions associated with an adaptive approach to collaborative decision-making were tested in laboratory experiments, with positive support for the contingency model albeit constrained by individual cognitive variances. Organisations increasingly are adopting centralised approaches to the provision of IT services, with IT governance as an integrating mechanism and a need for multiple business-IT alignments to add value according to the differentiation required by organisational elements. Propositions relating to the adaptation of IT management arrangements based upon organisational characteristics were tested using a multi- iv -discipline approach, which resulted in support for the model although practical difficulties were experienced in the action research component. This research provides a framework for maintaining effective variety of information capabilities commensurate with the diverse organisation???s mission and environment, while also exploiting the synergies and economies of shared information resources for holistic benefits.

Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, 2005. / Bibliography: p. 241-260. / Introduction -- Literature review -- Development of the KM Spectrum -- Research design and method -- Results -- Discussion of results -- Conclusions and implications. / There is growing consensus in business research and practice that knowledge is increasingly the driver of competitive advantage. This thesis focuses on one aspect of the issue by identifying factors that affect the adoption of Knowledge Management (KM) applications by individuals in an IT Services organisation. The study considers the adoption decision by individuals once senior management have decided to invest in IT enabled KM applications (KMA) and KM systems (KMS). -- In the thesis, a framework, the KM Spectrum, is developed that differentiates between the varying characteristics of KMAs and frames the research. The thesis identifies 32 potential success factors for KM adoption proposed in the reviewed literature. These factors are related to the disciplines of organisational science, diffusion theory and adoption models. -- The methods used in the research: secondary data study, interviews and the electronic survey, combined with the representativeness of the survey sample, triangulate to provide confidence in the empirical understanding of the factors that influenced the adoption of KM within the specific knowledge-based organisation. -- In developing the theoretically-informed view of the factors that affect individual adoption of KMAs the research concludes that studying KM adoption at an individual level and across multiple KMAs identifies influences on adoption masked by adoption research conducted at a KM system and/or organisational level. By studying KM adoption at an individual level this thesis finds that the adoption by individuals of KMAs is primarily a diffusion phenomenon and that the factors that influence KMA adoption vary with the type of KMA being adopted. The empirically identified factors that affect adoption at an individual level build to a staged model of KM adoption, called the enhanced KM adoption (EKMA) model. The EKMA model represents four phases of KM adoption and differential influences that apply across the adoption lifecycle. Additionally, the study provides some indications of further research topics and proposes a checklist to assist practitioners with the deployment of KMAs and KM systems. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / xx, 330 p. ill

Lic.-avh. Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2005. / På titelsidan felaktiga serieuppgifter.