Designing Information Technology Governance Processes: Diagnosing Contemporary Practices and Competing Theories

Whereas previous studies have been primarily focused on the structural features of Information Technology governance, this paper describes an exploratory study of IT governance processes. Rooted in competing theories of organizational decision-making, and based on a case study investigation of large complex organizations, this paper examines the design and effectiveness of IT governance processes from both rational and social perspectives. The results indicate that, regardless of the level of environmental dynamism and turbulence, effective IT governance processes are characterized by both methodological comprehensiveness and social interventions, involving strategic integration of business and IT decisions, and building collaborative relationships and shared understanding among key stakeholders. The implications of these results for research and practice are outlined.