EIS support for the strategic management process

Abstract

The success of an executive information system (EIS) depends upon many factors, including providing support for the strategic management process (SMP). The SMP is comprised of five phases: organizational objectives, environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategic control. The study empirically investigated (1) the support of EISs for the phases of the SMP and (2) the relationship between the amount of support provided and EIS success. Data were collected from EIS professionals and executive users in 51 organizations. Descriptive statistics were calculated and correlation analysis was used to test the hypothesized relationships. It was found that the success of an EIS is related to its support for operational objectives and strategy implementation. The findings can be understood by considering the conditions that surround the development of an EIS and revisiting the relationship between management activities and information requirements.