Troubled IS/IT projects: searching for the root causes

Abstract

Purpose For decades, troubled information systems (IS)/information technology (IT) projects have continued to lose billions of dollars all over the world. The purpose of this paper is to look for the root causes of this widespread and important phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This paper begins with a concise survey of empirical research and shows that a significant proportion of project failures are derived from the behavior of managers rather than from objective or technical obstacles. Although researchers have made significant efforts to improve the professional conduct of managers, the situation ameliorated only slowly. This raises the issue of a possible hidden cause lying behind the perceived determinants of failure; the authors, therefore, look for the root-cause of this broad noteworthy phenomenon and apply the techniques typical of “root-cause analysis”. Findings IS/IT managers handling troubled projects worldwide have nothing in common except for a similar cultural basis. As students, they learned the fundamental concepts of informatics, and it is, therefore, natural to hypothesize a specific cause and effect relationship between these lessons and the ineffective behaviors of managers. A careful analysis shows that computing theories are narrow, self-referential and abstract, and this negatively affects the conduct of managers, who have broad, practical responsibilities. Practical implications The cultural causes of runaway projects require advanced theoretical research on the foundations of computer science to create a comprehensive and consistent construct that can support the manifold duties of IS/IT project leaders. A future theoretical structure will underpin innovative courses in universities and professional organizations, making leaders more aware of their roles and more capable of managing them. Originality/value In general, when a problem is traced to its origin, it can be eradicated. This work offers evidence that the root causes of troubled projects lie in the management culture, and therefore, the professional preparation of managers needs to be improved so to remove the present difficulties in IS/IT projects.