Sorry, the World is not Flat: A Global View of Organizational Information Systems Issues

Abstract

Information systems (IS) research paradigms, models, and findings are largely developed in the context of the U.S. and Western Europe; therefore, they are applicable primarily to the Western context and have limited relevance elsewhere. In response to this incomplete view and potential bias, the World Information Technology (IT) Project was launched more than five years ago to examine many topics, including the nature of organizational IS issues in various parts of the world. Using a common survey instrument, data were collected from IT employees in 37 countries. These 37 countries provide a good representation of the world as they exhibit different economic, cultural, political, religious, and regional differences. Results demonstrate the fallacy of the Western views and reveal that the globe does not always follow them. While there are a few common issues among the 37 countries, namely: IT reliability and efficiency, and security and privacy; more significantly, there are important differences. A cluster analysis of the country data corroborates the findings and divides countries into two groups: those with strategic issues and those with tactical and operational issues. Overall, the study underscores the importance of visioning beyond ethnocentric views and expanding our horizons to the global IT landscape. Particularly, business and IT executives need to address country and regional differences when pursuing international endeavors.