The Concept of Key Success Factors : Theory and Method Charlotte Ellegaard Project no 15 Executive Summary

Abstract

The use of the key success factor concept in the MIS and strategy literature is traced, and a new view is presented, which defines key success factors as skills and resources with high leverage on customer perceived value and relative costs of a business. Key success factors are distinguished from core, slack, and auxiliary skills and resources. Perceived are distinguished from actual key success factors, and it is argued that empirical research on key success factors should address both. A research agenda is presented, and various methods for solving the methodological problems in that agenda are discussed.