Assessing the Impact of Decision Process on Effectiveness of Strategic It Decisions: a Triangulation Approach

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF DECISION

PROCESS ON EFFECTIVENESS OF

STRATEGIC IT DECISIONS:

A TRIANGULATION APPROACH1

C Ranganathan

Department of Management

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

U.S.A.

Vijay Sethi

Nanyang Technological University

Singapore

Extended Abstract

Research on strategic information systems planning (SISP) has been characterized by a heavy emphasis on normative models for

IT strategy formulation. Numerous approaches to formulating strategic plans and for designing IT planning systems have been

suggested in the literature. Despite this, evidence from empirical studies indicates that IT executives have a great deal of trouble

in translating plans into actions and specific decisions. Hence, our knowledge on IT planning needs to be supplemented with an

understanding of strategic IT decisions and the processes underlying them.

Strategic IT decisions are those fundamental decisions that shape the IT strategy of an organization. While there has been

considerable research on issues pertaining to formulating and implementing IT strategy, research on strategic IT decisions has

received relatively limited attention. Addressing this gap, this study focuses on the process and effectiveness of strategic IT

decisions. We define strategic IT decision as an IT-related decision whose intended impact is perceived as crucial to the

organization. The dynamics of strategic IT decision process are investigated using two constructs, namely rationality and politics.

Rationality in decision making refers to the extent to which the decision process involves gathering of information relevant to the

decision and the reliance upon the analysis of this information in making the final choice. Politics are the observable, but covert,

actions performed by executives within an organization or by agencies external to the organization in order to influence a decision.

Our study is guided by two key research questions. First, to what extent does rationality...