Environmental assessment in strategic information systems planning

Abstract

Environmental assessment (ENVA) is expected to increase the chances of achieving strategic information systems planning (SISP) objectives. Such planning characteristics as the initiator of the SISP study, the study's planning horizon, its scope, and information systems department participation in long-range, business planning have been suggested as influences on the ENVA performed in SISP. This study employed a postal survey to investigate those predictors of ENVA and the impact of that assessment on the achievement of SISP objectives. It obtained responses from 105 corporate information systems planners. The study confirmed the effects of ENVA on the achievement of objectives, and those of initiator and IS department participation on assessment. Future researchers may want to investigate the predictors of the initiator and IS department participation as well as why scope and planning horizon did not lead to ENVA. Practitioners may want to encourage top management to initiate SISP studies and to include the IS department in the business planning.