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Information Technology Projects – Leaving the ‘Magic’ to the ‘Wizards’

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Information Systems Development

Abstract

In this chapter, we explore the significant challenges relating to investment in IT business. Information technology does not in itself deliver business value. We highlight the complexities that are often ignored in management of IT projects. If the management system in an organization is ineffective, then installing information technologies does not constitute a ‘magic wand’ that will generate prosperity. It can only generate value if attention is paid to the design of the system for use at the same time that technological systems are developed. The authors explore how IT benefits require attention from management generally and show that investment in IT projects cannot be left to ‘IT experts’ alone. We point out that undue reliance on rational planning is unsatisfactory, as it ignores contextual dependencies in organizational life. Criteria by which the success/failure of projects is to be judged must go beyond a focus on timescales, budgets, and ‘requirement specifications.’ We suggest that the criteria need to be expanded to embrace usefulness of resultant systems, as perceived by organizational staff as they attempt to use them in carrying out their work.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computing, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

    Peter M. Bednar

  2. Department of Informatics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Peter M. Bednar

  3. Department of Strategy and Business Systems, University of Portsmouth Business School, Portsmouth, UK

    Christine Welch

Authors
  1. Peter M. Bednar
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  2. Christine Welch
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Computer Science, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

    George Angelos Papadopoulos

  2. College of Business & Economics, Dept. Information Technology &, Boise State University, Univesity Dr. 1910, Boise, 83725-1615, Idaho, USA

    Wita Wojtkowski

  3. College of Business & Economics, Dept. Information Technology &, Boise State University, Univesity Dr. 1910, Boise, 83725-1615, Idaho, USA

    Gregory Wojtkowski

  4. Dep. of Information Systems, University of Gdansk, 81-824 Sopot,Polska ul. Armii, Krajowej, 119121, Poland

    Stanislaw Wrycza

  5. University of Maribor, Presernova 11, Kranj, 4000, Slovenia

    Jože Zupancic

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Bednar, P.M., Welch, C. (2009). Information Technology Projects – Leaving the ‘Magic’ to the ‘Wizards’. In: Papadopoulos, G., Wojtkowski, W., Wojtkowski, G., Wrycza, S., Zupancic, J. (eds) Information Systems Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/b137171_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/b137171_36

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-84809-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-84810-5

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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