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Strategic Information Systems Planning: Planning System Dimensions, Internal Coalignment, and Implications for Planning Effectiveness
Author(s) -
Segars Albert H.,
Grover Varun,
Teng James T.C.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
decision sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.238
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1540-5915
pISSN - 0011-7315
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-5915.1998.tb01579.x
Subject(s) - operationalization , consistency (knowledge bases) , strategic information system , variety (cybernetics) , information flow , process management , computer science , strategic planning , information system , process (computing) , focus (optics) , control (management) , knowledge management , management science , perspective (graphical) , adaptation (eye) , work (physics) , management information systems , business , marketing , psychology , economics , political science , engineering , philosophy , artificial intelligence , law , linguistics , optics , operating system , epistemology , mechanical engineering , physics , neuroscience
Improving strategic information systems planning (SISP) remains a critical concern of both practitioners and academics. To date, a rather large number of studies have examined or proposed analytical techniques, frameworks, and tools for developing strategic plans. As a direct consequence of this emphasis, methodologies have often become the basis for characterizing the entire process of SISP within the information systems literature. Recent theoretical work suggests that such characterizations are unnecessarily narrow and that planning activities within organizations can be more accurately conceptualized as systems of behaviors, agendas, or process dimensions. Working within this contemporary theoretical perspective, the findings of this study suggest that SISP can be operationalized along distinct dimensions of comprehensiveness (extent of solution search), formalization (rules and procedures to guide activities), focus (creativity or control), flow (top down, bottom up), participation (number and variety of planners), and consistency (frequency of planning cycles). Similar to previous theoretical work and case studies, higher order factor modeling of these dimensions suggests that planning systems that exhibit aspects of rationality (high comprehensiveness, high formalization, control focus, top‐down flow), and adaptation (high participation, high consistency) are positively associated with planning effectiveness.