Organizational Environment and Information Systems
The Journal for Decision Makers, Jan-Mar2003, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p61, 14p
Malik, Kamna; Goyal, D. P. Vikalpa

The convergence of information technologies has opened new vistas of opportunities as well as risks for organizations. Organization structure, controls, and management have all witnessed a sea change with their information systems (IS) becoming technology driven. IS is seen as a strategic tool that must be watched carefully in order to lead to corporate vision. For the first users, IS may bring competitive advantage but, for most, it becomes a need for survival. To sustain in this dynamic environment, executives need to be on all time-alert to make sure that they do not lag behind competition. A study of best-run organizations indicates that to keep business and IS aligned, they have highly collaborative behaviour as well as well-defined policy for evaluating IS.

This paper suggests an ACE Model -- a 3-ring model, comprising of processes to (A)dapt, (C)ollaborate and (E)valuate, in order to establish and evaluate organizational effectiveness for improved IS effectiveness in the organizations. At the core is the need to cultivate a culture to adapt the latest tools and techniques for higher end use. Next, the people must collaborate and work in teams for faster and beneficial plans and implementation. Finally, a well-defined process for constant monitoring and refinements of the plans is required. The rings signify continuity of the three processes. These processes should not be triggered at specific intervals. Rather, these must be imbibed in the culture of the organization so that the employees breathe in and breathe out the same thoughts and execute them together. The model offers a simple, flexible, and modular approach to assess organization's environment for IS effectiveness on a 5-point scale.

ISE Categories:  Competitive Advantage