New IT Governance Research

RMIT University's School of Management has secured a $5000 grant to commence preliminary research into an initiative entitled: “Achieving Business Sustainability: Directors’ Perceptions of Information Technology Investment, Corporate Monitoring and Governance”. Infonomics will be partnering with RMIT in this research which lays the foundation for a major Australian Research Council Linkage Grant submission entitled “The Impact of Information Technology and E-Business on Australian Industry:  A Management, Commitment and Culture Perspective” which is awaiting feedback this November.

The research will be conducted by Dr Fang Zhao & Associate Professor Adela J. McMurray.

The funding submission for the research said: “Today’s best companies embrace information technology not as a means of cost-cutting, but as a tool for business success and sustainability. Studies show that the key success factor of IT use is strongly linked to effectiveness of IT governance. The international competitiveness, innovation capacity, and sustainability of Australian industry and business are significantly influenced by the ability to develop and harness the power of information and communication technology. While information technology has created abundant business opportunities, it has also rendered many traditional business management models obsolete. IT requires digital transformation and profound changes in corporate governance, organizational and business structure, strategy and culture.”

The outcome of this exploratory study will uncover directors’ perceptions about IT Governance in today’s large organisations and how to embed an effective IT governance framework for Australian industry, business and infrastructure into their organisation’s culture and hence sustainability. These findings will be used to inform organisational policy, procedures and practices that will lead to the development of sustainable business practices through responsible IT governance that reflect the interests of all stakeholders.

The research will assist Australian industry and business to be more culturally prepared, open and inclusive to maximise the return of their IT investment. This is a significant aspect of the research as organisational culture is predominantly overlooked in the IT Governance literature.

The project is important and timely given the current trend of the booming e-business and IT economy in Australia and overseas, and the increasingly dominant roles that IT plays in helping organizations improve efficiency and productivity of their business. The project assists Board Directors, and hence organisational managers to formulate and implement effective strategies to align and integrate technology, operation, strategy, structure, culture and human resources in IT governance. The findings will provide a greater understanding of the important issues involved in IT governance and management in a wide range of industries and businesses.

Work on the research will commence shortly.  The team would be delighted to hear from IT Governance Letter readers who would like to contribute a point of view.

For further information, please contact Mark Toomey at mtoomey@infonomics.com.au.