Information Systems Project Performance Research Articles

Control-style choices and performance impacts: How should senior IS managers enact control over uncertain IS projects?

Information systems (IS) projects are notoriously difficult to control, especially under conditions of uncertainty. This difficulty is particularly pronounced for senior IS managers, such as CIOs and IT Vice Presidents, who tend to have scarce time and limited project-related knowledge but are ultimately held accountable for IS project performance. Focusing on this under-researched controller category, the study at hand contributes new insights into the enactment of controls by exploring how IS project uncertainty affects senior IS managers' control-style choices, as well as how it moderates the impact of such choices on process and product performance. Based on a survey of 150 senior IS managers, we find that IS project uncertainty increases managers' use of an authoritative control style but is unrelated to their use of an enabling control style. Further, in IS projects characterized by uncertainty, an authoritative control style is found to be effective for process performance, whereas an enabling style is found to be effective for product performance. Moreover, the results of a post-hoc analysis show that using the two control styles simultaneously under uncertainty delivers no discernible benefits, suggesting a decision-related control dilemma. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Control-style ambidexterity and information systems project performance: an expanded view of control activities

ABSTRACT Information systems (IS) projects represent key building blocks of large-scale digital transformation and innovation initiatives. As a result, IS projects have become increasingly ambitious in terms of both goals and scale, making it even more challenging for managers to exercise control over such projects. While prior research focused primarily on the direct and interactive effects of formal and informal control modes on IS project performance, recent research directs attention to the importance of considering project managers’ control styles (i.e., how managers interact with controlees to enact controls). Corresponding studies also indicate that “either/or” control approaches – as opposed to “both/and” approaches – are no longer viable in today’s complex environment. As such, our study draws on an ambidexterity perspective to theoretically develop and empirically test the direct and interactive effects of control-style ambidexterity on IS project performance. Using matched-pair data from 146 IS projects (from 146 high-tech firms), we find that control-style ambidexterity improves project performance – directly and in combination with both formal and informal control. The study results contribute novel insights regarding the effective control of IS projects in the digital era and help explain mixed findings in prior literature, thereby facilitating continued theory development in the research area.

The combined effects of managerial control, resource commitment, and top management support on the successful delivery of information systems projects

Current research on information systems (IS) projects fails to comprehensively explain how these projects can achieve higher performance. This study examines the underlying conditions that result in IS project performance. We examined the role of managerial control as well as the moderating effects of resource commitment and top management support. Data were collected from 262 respondents working in various IS projects across Pakistan. The results indicate that managerial control plays a key role in the performance of IS projects. The moderating role of resource commitment was established for clan control and outcome control, while it failed to play a moderating role for behavioral control and self-control. In case of top management support, the moderation was established for outcome control and clan control while for other two dimensions of managerial control i.e. self-control and behavioral control, the moderating role was not established.

Organizational structure and enterprise systems implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the structural design of customer teams (CuTes) working with external teams to implement customized information systems (IS). Design consists of theoretically based measures and a first set of real-world, empirical values. Design/methodology/approach – A search in the organizational literature suggested that the adhocracy is the preferred structure for CuTes. Adhocracy-like measures were then developed and applied to a high-performance CuTe to reveal a first benchmark for a team’s adhocratic design. Findings – High-performance CuTes do not necessarily implement the adhocratic principles to the highest degree. Research limitations/implications – It is still open whether all the structural measures described here are necessary and sufficient to describe the adhocracy-like structural design of CuTes. Practical implications – The CuTe is highlighted as the key incumbent of cooperation with the technology supplier and consultants in terms of project authority and responsibility. A psychometric instrument and real-world values are proposed as a reference for the structural design of high-performance CuTes. Social implications – The performance of IS projects is a social concern, since IS products should be aimed at serving people better both inside and outside the organization. Professionals who work in CuTes to develop better IS should receive institutional recognition and management attention. Originality/value – This study seems to be the first to discuss the structure of CuTes in customized IS projects from a theoretical and applied perspective.

Effects of control on the performance of information systems projects: The moderating role of complexity risk

Control of projects is a core issue for organizations. Successful projects, such as information systems projects, enable organizations to develop a superior supply network and enhance the capability of operations management. A few studies have investigated the effects of control on project performance; however, complexity risk has not been integrated into the relationship between control and performance. Limited evidence has been provided concerning whether modes of control differ in their effectiveness in the presence of a single risk factor. Based on quantitative data obtained from 128 information systems projects, behavior, outcome, clan, and self-control are empirically determined to be positively associated with the system performance of projects. However, complexity risk generates a mixed moderating effect on the relationship between control and performance. In the presence of a high complexity risk, the effects of behavior and self-control on performance are low, whereas the effectiveness of outcome and clan control increases. This finding implies that complexity risk is a double-edged sword with regard to control. Each control mode exhibits different characteristics and effectiveness under high complexity risk. Therefore, appropriate control modes should be carefully selected, and highly effective control modes, such as outcome and clan control, should be prioritized in managing complex system projects.

Discriminative effect of user influence and user responsibility on information system development processes and project management

Context User participation in information system (IS) development has received much research attention. However, prior empirical research regarding the effect of user participation on IS success is inconclusive. This might be because previous studies overlook the effect of the particular components of user participation and other possible mediating factors. Objective The objective of this study is to empirically examine how user influence and user responsibility affect IS project performance. We inspect whether user influence and user responsibility improve the quality of the IS development process and in turn leads to project success, or if they have a direct positive influence on project success. Method We conducted a survey of 151 IS project managers in order to understand the impact of user influence and user responsibility on IS project performance. Regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship among user influence, user responsibility, organizational technology learning, project control, user–developer interaction, and IS project management performance. Results This study shows that user responsibility and user influence have a positive effect on project performance through the promotion of IS development processes as mediators, including organizational technology learning, project control, and user–IS interaction. Conclusion Our results suggest that user responsibility and user influence respectively play an important role in indirectly and directly impacting project management performance. Results of the analysis imply that organizations and project managers should use both user participation and user influence to improve processes performance, and in turn, increase project success.

Relationships among interpersonal conflict, requirements uncertainty, and software project performance

Interpersonal conflict and user requirements uncertainty are pervasive phenomena that plague information systems projects. Relevant literature indicates that interpersonal conflicts can negatively affect information system (IS) projects, even after controlling for the effects of conflict management and resolution. However, the negative emotional characteristics of conflict alone have limited explanatory power with regard to IS project success. The purpose of this study is to provide additional insights into this phenomenon by examining the impact on IS project performance made by the interaction between interpersonal conflict and requirement uncertainty (which comprises both diversity and instability). The authors surveyed the top 1600 companies in Taiwan and the results revealed that requirements instability would lead to potential interpersonal conflict and interpersonal conflict was directly associated with requirements diversity which, in turn, was negatively associated with final project performance.

User advocacy and information system project performance

User participation in information system projects is an established practice well backed by research. However, participation is usually considered limited to helping shape the requirements of the system being developed in order to be certain that a functional system is developed. This narrow perspective overlooks the potential of having the user be an advocate for the system to grow support among all stakeholders of the project. We build and empirically test a model that links user advocacy to project performance. The model also establishes links between two potential antecedents of user advocacy, socialization that includes training and relationship development, and extrinsic motivation. All links are positively supported by data collected from 128 matched-pairs of information system users and developers. Information system project managers are encouraged to establish reward structures and training to promote a role of advocacy for the users represented in the project team.

Introduction to the Special Issue—Flexible and Distributed Information Systems Development: State of the Art and Research Challenges

Process flexibility and globally distributed develop-ment are two major current trends in software andinformation systems development (ISD). The questfor flexibility is very much evident in the recent devel-opment and increasing acceptance of various agilemethods, such as eXtreme Programming (Beck andAndres 2005) and Scrum (Schwaber and Beedle 2002).Agile development methods are examples of appar-ently major success stories that seem to have runcounter to the prevailing wisdom in information sys-tems (IS) and software engineering. However, ratherthan being antimethod, agile approaches operate onthe principle of “just enough method.” The quest forflexibility is also apparent in the currently increasinginterest in striking a balance between the rigor of tra-ditional approaches and the need for adaptation ofthose approaches to suit particular development situ-ations. Although suitable methods may exist, devel-opers struggle in practice when selecting methodsand tailoring them to suit their needs. Certainly,agile methods are not exempt from this problem asthey too need to be flexibly tailored to the devel-opment context at hand (Fitzgerald et al. 2006a).Distributed development recognizes that, more andmore, ISD takes place in globally distributed settings.This is perhaps most evident in the many cases ofoffshoring and outsourcing of software developmentto low-cost countries (King and Torkzadeh 2008). Dis-tributed development places new demands on thedevelopment process through the increased complex-ity related to communication, coordination, cooper-ation, control, and culture, as well as to technologyand tools. Interestingly, many of the difficulties facedin globally distributed ISD are the same issues sur-faced by agile methods and development flexibility ingeneral.It is something of an irony that the special issuebefore us appears on the bicentenary of Darwin’sbirth. Evolutionary theory suggests that success andsurvival are not the preserve of the strongest nor themost intelligent. Rather, the ability to adapt to chang-ing circumstances is the key trait. Flexibility, one ofthe twin primary points of focus for this special issue,addresses this trait directly. A further parallel is thatDarwin’s theory of evolution was best exemplified bydifferences across different spatial locations. This isalso inherent in the second focal point for the specialissue dual focus—distributed development.

Towards an integrated measurement of IS project performance: The project performance scorecard

Determining the contribution of information system (IS) projects is a difficult endeavour. This research presents a framework for evaluating and measuring IS project performance that seek to address this problem while moving away from the reliance on the traditional assessment method (time, cost, specifications). When IS projects fail or succeed is difficult to determine what conditions enabled the outcome. However, if we are to develop a higher level of IS project management competence we need frameworks that can help in assessing IS project outcomes while critically reflecting and learning from IS project management practices. The Project Performance Scorecard (PPS) recommended here is one framework that can help to advance our understanding IS project management and evaluation approaches. This framework integrates concepts from existing models of IS success, the Balanced Scorecard and project management practices. A case study approach is used to illustrate the use of the PPS, and offers insights into how it can be useful in assessing the performance of IS projects.

Software quality and IS project performance improvements from software development process maturity and IS implementation strategies

The capability maturity model (CMM) is part of several software process improvement (SPI), six sigma, and total quality management (TQM) initiatives in organizations. SPI and continuous quality improvements are associated with better return on investment (ROI) for organizations. The purpose of this empirical research is to study the impact of the CMM on certain critical factors in information systems implementation strategy, software quality and software project performance. Our findings are that CMM levels do associate with IS implementation strategies and higher CMM levels relate to higher software quality and project performance. We also conclude that information systems (IS) implementation strategies have a significant impact on software quality and project performance. While certain IS implementation strategies – executive commitment and prototyping – have a significant impact on both software quality and project performance, training had a significant effect only on software quality and simplicity has a significant effect only on project performance.