INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - A STUDY OF PERFORMANCE AND THE ROLE OF HUMANAND ORGANIZATIONAL-FACTORS

The aim of this study was to gather and collate information from the m ajor researchers and consultancies in the UK regarding the performance of Information Technology (IT) and the role of human and organization al factors. The findings are based on the experience of 45 of the lead ing experts in the UK, drawing on a collective sample of approximately 14,000 organizations, covering all major sectors of economic activity and a comprehensive range of information technologies. The main findi ngs are that 80-90% of IT investments do not meet their performance ob jectives and the reasons for this are rarely purely technical in origi n. The context of technical change, the ways in which IT is developed and implemented, a range of human and organizational factors, and the roles of managers and end-users, are identified as critical areas affe cting performance. A major implication is that the poor performance of IT systems is the result of a complex set of interacting forces that will be difficult to change. The study reports ideas concerning 'best practice' within companies, along with some suggestions for what needs to be done on a national scale to improve performance and practice in this area. A key goal is that action on these human and organizationa l issues becomes embedded in practice, part of the natural way of mana ging organizational and technical change.