Identifying different paradigms for managing information technology

Abstract

Organizations are shaped based on a number of implicit and explicit assumptions. Usually, these assumptions are made by the founder of a company, Management of Information Technology (IT) is shaped in much the same way. It is based on several assumptions how to carry out information systems development, maintenance, information services, and how to plan for and control all these activities. Based on such assumptions, the authors identify four different approaches or paradigms to management of IT. A model is presented to position organizations in detail according to these paradigms. Potential ways of using the model are presented. Based on results of three types of empirical research, two ways of using the model are discussed in detail: the development of a necessary vision on the management of IT, and the identification of critical issues for the management of IT. The empirical result and the discussion of vision and critical issues lead to two major conclusions. First, there seemed o be no single goal to which IT organizations grow, i.e., all paradigms for managing IT were visible in practice. Second, although all paradigms were visible in practice, one paradigm, the paradigm of management control, dominated, despite the fact that for a lot of organizations this paradigm may not be the most obvious to rely upon.