IMPORTANT NOTICE:
THIS ARTICLE IS AN EXTRACT OF LINES FROM A REPORT SUBMITTED BY MUKESH PARTHASARATHY TO UNITEC NEW ZEALAND. PLAGIARISM IS A SEVERE OFFENCE. KINDLY USE CITATIONS IF YOU ARE REFERRING TO THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR PAPERS OR WEBSITES.
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Review of the article: Key Predictors of the Implementation of Strategic Information Systems Plans
Web address:
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=937747&jmp=cit&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=56379807
The selection of the article by my classmate is very good as the article has been written by some of the leading experts in this field which includes Albert L. Lederer from the University of Kentucky. The content of the article is also very significant as they provide pointers to what actually determines the implementation of Strategic Information Systems Plans. It should not be confused with whether the Strategic Information Systems Plans are feasible. These key predictors are determined not out of critical thinking but using rational scientific statistical methods which make this article more quantitative and pragmatic in its approach. The selection of the article by my classmate is a little bit out of date as it was not published two years back, but still the implications of what is being said is very significant.
One of the reasons given by my classmate for choosing this article is the strength of references and citations. A vast body of references has been included in this article. This is a very important point as the authors of this article have relied a lot on the solid edifices of previous spadework that has been done in this area and they provide excellent citations and references to back up their opinions. This makes any reader of the article proud.
The authors give more than one definition for Strategic Information Systems Planning and my classmate could have also talked about the importance, history, and significance of Strategic Information Systems Plans as discussed in the article.
I agree with my classmate that the authors have done a very good job in data analysis. Predictions based on statistical and probabilistic models are more reliable than empirical models. Statistical probabilistic predictions need not be universal or even empirical but at least they are quantitative and very measuring. My classmate could have talked a little bit about the pilot test that precedes the actual test. This is very important as the success of a pilot test determines whether to proceed with the actual test. The result of the pilot test determines the changes that need to be made to the testing instrument when the actual test is being made. The selection of the sample for the experiment is very good as it is drawn from a list of top 500 IS users but my classmate could have pointed out that the article does not mention how the sample for the pilot test was selected. In the article it is simply mentioned that sample is made of experienced strategic IS planners. This is important as the quality of the pilot test sample affects the actual test that is being carried out.
My classmate could have talked about some of the key factors that went into the statistical process in doing the experiment as one of the important point to note is that the researchers dropped items that had negative and low positive correlations. They
have considered items with only high positive correlations. This resulted in reducing the total number of items from 71 to 37 which is like pruning almost half of the items for the sake of varimax rotation and principle-axis factoring extraction. My classmate has mentioned only about the migration factor but he could have also mentioned about the other factors-management control, study focus, team member selection criteria, and needs although he has points about them in an indirect way.
He could have clearly mentioned the factors and their importance but he just talks about importance – importance of what?
Priority is a very important factor as it determines when to implement an application.
Management control illustrates the importance of executive guidance with organizational consent during the study.
Study focus illustrates the importance of studying trends, competitors, impact of information technology, and tying it to strategic business planning.
Team member selection criteria illustrate the importance of the qualities of those who make the plans.
Needs illustrates the importance of understanding current concerns within the firm.
My classmate could have clearly discussed the above factors.
My classmate has also ignored the implication on managers. The implications of this research suggest that the managers have to deliberately plan for implementation by identifying specific actions and incorporate them in the plan itself. It is also imperative to understand and prudently assess each practice in the experiment whether they predict implementation or not. Sometimes managers can make costly mistakes by ignoring some practices that may not predict implementation.
My classmate could have also talked about the implication for researchers. Researchers must understand that migration predicts greater implementation and needs predicted less implementation. And the findings of this article are very consistent with previous research. The writers of this article have urged the researchers to determine the causality. Correlation and regression have definitely nothing to do with causality but they only tell about the relationship between the various elements in this experiment. They determine the probability and likelihood of events occurring which are also known as predictors of implementation in this article.
The article also found out how analysis of organisational needs actually impedes implementation. But still they urge that some level of organisational analysis is needed and this level needs to be determined.
My classmate could have talked about these points as they are very significant in this article which is about the key predictors of the implementation of Strategic Information Systems Plans.
My classmate has talked about his personal experiences in relation to this very interesting topic. The examples given in this context are very significant and I agree very much with my classmate that if there is no proper coordination between the top level management and the IT staff, they may result in serious consequences. The example of Carly Fiorina acquiring Compaq as against the board of directors of HP tells how significant these plans are for the future of a company.
Finally I agree with the conclusions made by my classmate that the amount of resources involved in SISP is huge and a failure of the plan may possibly result in the breakdown of the organization.
Hence I would like to add that management should take SISP seriously if it wants to leverage its business prospects.
