The Impact of Organisational Politics on the Implementation of IT Strategy

Through IT strategy, many organisations intend to set out key directions and objectives for the use and management of information, communication and technologies. A shared view among these organisations is that IT strategy allows all parts of the organisation to gain a shared understanding of priorities, goals and objectives for both current and future states as defined in the strategy. It would therefore seem that IT strategy, for the foreseeable future will remain a key aspect of development within organisations. As a result, there has been more focus on how IT strategy is articulated and formulated. What is missing is that there has been less attention on the implementation of the strategy. Also, in most organisations, technical issues are minor compared to the relationship issues. There are many factors which influence the implementation of the IT strategy. This paper focuses on how organisational politics as examined by two underpinning theories, Structuration Theory and Actor-Network Theory, impact the implementation of IT strategy.

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Politicking the Information Technology Strategy in Organisations

Politics and Social Activism ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9461-3.ch079 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1528-1554

Author(s):

Tiko Iyamu

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Influencing Factors ◽

Structuration Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

It Strategy ◽

Foreseeable Future ◽

Information Communication ◽

Technical Issues ◽

The Relationship ◽

Organisational Politics

Through IT strategy, many organisations intend to set out key directions and objectives for the use and management of information, communication and technologies. It would therefore seem that IT strategy, for the foreseeable future will remain a key aspect of development within organisations. As a result, there has been more focus on how IT strategy is articulated and formulated. What is missing is that there has been less attention on the implementation of the strategy. Also, in most organisations, technical issues are minor compared to the relationship issues. There are many factors which influence the implementation of the IT strategy. These influencing factors which include organisational politics, determine the success or failure of the IT strategy. This paper focuses on how organisational politics as examined by two underpinning theories, Structuration Theory and Actor-Network Theory, impact the implementation of IT strategy.

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Politicking the Information Technology Strategy in Organisations

Advances in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development - Strategic Information Technology Governance and Organizational Politics in Modern Business ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8524-6.ch003 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 51-78

Author(s):

Tiko Iyamu

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Influencing Factors ◽

Structuration Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

It Strategy ◽

Foreseeable Future ◽

Information Communication ◽

Technical Issues ◽

The Relationship ◽

Organisational Politics

Through IT strategy, many organisations intend to set out key directions and objectives for the use and management of information, communication and technologies. It would therefore seem that IT strategy, for the foreseeable future will remain a key aspect of development within organisations. As a result, there has been more focus on how IT strategy is articulated and formulated. What is missing is that there has been less attention on the implementation of the strategy. Also, in most organisations, technical issues are minor compared to the relationship issues. There are many factors which influence the implementation of the IT strategy. These influencing factors which include organisational politics, determine the success or failure of the IT strategy. This paper focuses on how organisational politics as examined by two underpinning theories, Structuration Theory and Actor-Network Theory, impact the implementation of IT strategy.

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The Use of Structuration Theory and Actor Network Theory for Analysis

Social Influences on Information and Communication Technology Innovations ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1559-5.ch001 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 1-19

Author(s):

Tiko Iyamu ◽

Dewald Roode

Keyword(s):

Network Theory ◽

Structuration Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Human Action ◽

Prima Facie ◽

It Strategy ◽

Actor Network ◽

Global Competitiveness ◽

Fresh Perspective ◽

Actor Networks

In the current climate of global competitiveness, many organisations are increasingly dependent on their IT strategy – either to increase their competitiveness, or often just to survive. Yet little is known about the non-technical influencing factors (such as people) and their impact on the development and implementation of IT strategy. There would therefore seem to be prima facie evidence that there is a need for a new approach to examining the relationships between social factors, technology and the organisation with respect to the development and implementation of IT strategy. This article seeks to make a contribution in this regard. Structuration Theory and Actor-Network Theory were employed to analyse how non-technical factors influence IT strategy. Structuration Theory holds that human actions are enabled and constrained by structures. Structures are rules and resources that do not exist independently of human action, nor are they material entities. Giddens describes them as ‘traces in the mind’ and argues that they exist only through the action of human beings. Actor Network Theory (ANT) provides a fresh perspective on the importance of relationships between actors that are both human and non-human. By their very presence, actors work to establish, maintain and revise the construction of organisational networks of aligned interests and gradually form stable actor-networks. ANT emphasises the heterogeneous nature of actor-networks which consist of and link together both technical and non-technical elements.

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The Impact of Network of Actors on the Information Technology

Actor-Network Theory and Technology Innovation ◽

10.4018/978-1-60960-197-3.ch016 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 234-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tiko Iyamu ◽

Arthur Tatnall

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Network Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

It Strategy ◽

Web Portal ◽

Computing Environment ◽

Actor Network ◽

Design And Implementation ◽

Human Actors ◽

The Impact

Organisations’ reliance on Information Technology (IT) is rapidly increasing. IT strategy is developed and implemented for particular purposes by different organizations. We should therefore expect that there will be network of actors within the computing environment, and that such network of actors will be the key to understanding many otherwise unexpected situations during the development and implementation of IT strategy. This network of actors has aligned interests. Many organizations are developing and implementing their IT strategy, while little is known about the network of actors and their impacts, which this paper reveals. This paper describes how Actor-Network Theory (ANT) was employed to investigate the impact of network of actors on the development and implementation of IT strategy in an organisation. ANT was used as it can provide a useful perspective on the importance of relationships between both human and non-human actors. Another example: design and implementation of a B-B web portal, is offered for comparison.

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An Actor-Network Analysis of a Case of Development and Implementation of IT Strategy

International Journal of Actor-Network Theory and Technological Innovation ◽

10.4018/jantti.2009062303 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 35-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tiko Iyamu ◽

Arthur Tatnall

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Network Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Prima Facie ◽

It Strategy ◽

Actor Network ◽

Design And Implementation ◽

Technical Factors ◽

Human Actors ◽

The Impact

Increasingly, many organizations are highly dependent on support from Information Technology (IT). Even though Carr has controversially argued that IT does not matter, there seems to be prima facie evidence that even the most ambitious business vision still needs IT to enable it. As such, there has been much focus and emphasis on technologies, and less attention on non-technical components in the development and implementation of IT strategy. This study is focused on the connection between the technical and nontechnical, including the relationships between actors in the development and implementation of IT strategy. This article describes how Actor-Network Theory (ANT) was employed to investigate the impact of non-technical factors on the development and implementation of IT strategy in an organization. ANT was used as it can provide a useful perspective on the importance of relationships between both human and non-human actors. Another example: design and implementation of a B-B web portal, is offered for comparison.

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The Use of Structuration Theory and Actor Network Theory for Analysis

International Journal of Actor-Network Theory and Technological Innovation ◽

10.4018/jantti.2010071601 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 1-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Tiko Iyamu ◽

Dewald Roode

Keyword(s):

Network Theory ◽

Structuration Theory ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Human Action ◽

Prima Facie ◽

It Strategy ◽

Human Beings ◽

Actor Network ◽

Global Competitiveness ◽

Actor Networks

In the current climate of global competitiveness, many organisations are increasingly dependent on their IT strategy—either to increase their competitiveness, or often just to survive. Yet little is known about the non-technical influencing factors (such as people) and their impact on the development and implementation of IT strategy. There would therefore seem to be prima facie evidence that there is a need for a new approach to examining the relationships between social factors, technology and the organisation with respect to the development and implementation of IT strategy. This article seeks to make a contribution in this regard. Structuration Theory and Actor-Network Theory were employed to analyse how non-technical factors influence IT strategy. Structuration Theory holds that human actions are enabled and constrained by structures. Structures are rules and resources that do not exist independently of human action, nor are they material entities. Giddens describes them as ‘traces in the mind’ and argues that they exist only through the action of human beings. Actor Network Theory (ANT) provides a fresh perspective on the importance of relationships between actors that are both human and non-human. By their very presence, actors work to establish, maintain and revise the construction of organisational networks of aligned interests and gradually form stable actor-networks. ANT emphasises the heterogeneous nature of actor-networks which consist of and link together both technical and non-technical elements.

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A Strategic Framework for Rural Micro-Enterprise Development: The Integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT), E-Commerce, Marketing, and Actor-Network Theory

Perspectives on Global Development and Technology ◽

10.1163/156914909x403180 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 48-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jo Rhodes

Keyword(s):

Network Theory ◽

Socioeconomic Development ◽

Actor Network Theory ◽

Business Practices ◽

Information Communication ◽

Action Research Project ◽

Actor Network ◽

Development Organization ◽

Marketing Principles ◽

The Impact

AbstractUsing a contextualist, interpretivist research method anchored in a South African rural women's organization, this paper contributes to the discourse on ICT-enabled rural microeconomic development. A conceptual framework, encapsulating rural socioeconomic development, ICTs (e-commerce through a government-sponsored telecentre), and marketing (as a particular business process) is probed using an in-situ participative action research project in cooperation with the organization's management team; and analyzed through Actor-Network Theory. The results reveal key barriers experienced by a rural development organization exploring ICT-enabled migration paths from development (self-help projects) to micro-enterprise. These barriers include the impact of traditional practices on a modern organization; the struggle to align marketing principles with cultural constraints; the conceptual confusion of relating development principles to business practices in a community isolated from regional and national levels of development; the consequences of leapfrogging the phases of institutionalization when implementing ICTs; and the consequences of the transitory mobilization of actors.

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Politicking information technology strategy in organisations: A case study of a selected organisation in South Africa

Journal of Governance and Regulation ◽

10.22495/jgr_v4_i3_c1_p2 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 107-114

Author(s):

Michael Twum-Darko ◽

Tiko Iyamu

Keyword(s):

Negative Impact ◽

Structuration Theory ◽

It Strategy ◽

Information Communication ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Strategy Formulation ◽

Socially Constructed ◽

Social Theories ◽

Data Collection Instrument ◽

The Impact

The paper discusses the impact of organisational polities on IT strategy formulation and implementation in an organisation. The objective is to determine the extent of organisational polities on strategy implementation in an organisation. The paper considered the interplay between stakeholders in influencing IT strategy formulation and implementation in an organisation as a socially constructed phenomenon. Thus, the phenomenon can be interpreted and understood by using social theories such Structuration Theory. Hence the paper adopted ANT as a lens through which to understand and interpret the sociotechnical processes associated with IT strategy formulation and implementation in an organisation. Through IT strategy, many organisations attempt to set out key directions and objectives for the use and management of information, communication and technologies. A shared view among these organisations is that IT strategy allows all parts of the organisation to gain a shared understanding of priorities, goals and objectives for both current and future states as defined in the organisational strategy. It is therefore arguable that IT strategy, for the foreseeable future will remain a key aspect of development within organisations. As a result, there has been more focus on how IT strategy is formulated and articulated. What is missing though, is less attention to the implementation of it. Using interpretive research philosophy and employing semi-structured interviews as data collection instrument, this paper attempts to suggest a matrix that will assist organisation to comprehend and deal with organisational politics to reduce its negative impact on IT strategy formulation and implementation in an organisation.

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Ethics of Retailers and Consumer Behavior in E-Commerce

International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management ◽

10.4018/ijabim.2020010107 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 107-126

Author(s):

Zhi Yang ◽

Quang Van Ngo ◽

Chung Xuan Thi Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Electronic Commerce ◽

Communication Technology ◽

Purchase Intention ◽

Purchase Decision ◽

Information Communication ◽

Significant Relationships ◽

Online Retailers ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

In the era of the information-communication technology with the development of electronic commerce, consumers can buy almost everything anywhere and at any time. One of the greatest benefits of e-commerce has been the convenience and the vast choices which consumers get online. However, some serious issues exist that impede consumers from transaction online. These issues have attracted the attention of many marketing researchers in recent years. In this research, the authors focus on the impact of consumers' ethics perception of e-retailer on their purchase intention and satisfaction. The authors also try to clarify the roles of trust and commitment in the relationship of ethics on consumers purchase decision and satisfaction because of their importance in e-commerce but also the privation in the research of previous studies. The data collected from a survey of 390 online consumers in Vietnam. Results reveal that there are significant relationships between online retailers' ethics and consumers' purchase intention and satisfaction via the mediation of trust and commitment.

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