Identification of Key International Information Systems Issues in U.S.-Based Multinational Corporations

Abstract

:The transfer and management of information systems (IS) technology present a significant challenge to multinational corporations (MNCS). Very few studies have investigated the managerial concerns and issues that confront IS executives in an international context This paper presents the empirical results of a two-phase study designed to identify and prioritize important international information systems issues in U.S.-based MNCS. The findings are compared to those reported in the earlier domestic MIS issues studies. The study reported here (a) identifies a number of international IS issues unique to multinational corporations; (b) emphasizes that top-rated international IS concerns are a mixture of managerial and technical issues much like the domestic issues studies of the 1980s; (c) concludes that multinational service and manufacturing firms perceive the importance of international IS issues differently; and (d) demonstrates, for manufacturing MNCS, that the level of international involvement does impact on how IS issues are perceived.