Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PhD in Business

Department

Department of Information and Process Management

First Advisor

Robert D. Galliers

Second Advisor

Sue Newell

Third Advisor

Michael A. Quinn

Fourth Advisor

Joe Peppard

Abstract

Information Systems (IS) pose both a challenge and an opportunity for organizations. The topic of strategizing around IS issues is thus of considerable importance. While there has been substantial academic research relating to the strategic value of IS – over 50 years – much of it focuses on such aspects of the topic as strategic IS planning, strategic alignment, and IS for competitive advantage. Fewer studies have taken into account the emergent nature of strategy formation. Fewer still have given attention to strategy-making practitioners, in particular their role and influence in the strategizing process. Accordingly, the goal of this dissertation is to provide a more comprehensive picture of IS strategizing processes and practices, with all their nuances, with particular attention being paid to the human actions and interactions of strategymaking: bringing to the foreground the strategists in other words. The dissertation consists of three stand-alone studies that are captured in the three essays that follow the introduction. The first two studies extend the conceptualization of IS strategy. The third is an empirical study that focuses on the role and influence of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in IS strategizing. Overall, the dissertation contributes to a better theoretical understanding of IS strategizing practice and explicitly identifies components, activities, and actors involved. The research provides a newly developed integrative framework for IS strategizing and a list of aligning activities, and goes on to provide a perspective on IS strategizing that incorporates considerations of power and influence. For practitioners, the research presents managers with concrete levers for improved practice.

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