Toward an IT Agenda

Abstract

The state of the information technology discipline is explored. A point of departure is a depiction of the IT field in a computing space along with computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, and information systems. This examination motivated a proposed distinctive anchoring theme for the IT discipline as deployment and configuration. Recommendations are made for advancing the research component of an IT agenda by seizing on jurisdictional vacancies, abstracting from professional practice, and drawing upon theoretical results from the systems sciences, serving as a reference discipline for IT. Five IT research thrust areas are proposed: IT artifacts, enterprise architectural infrastructure, interaction models, system performance, and domain induction. Appendices provide context by discussing viewpoints on the IS-IT relationship, perspectives on the role of artifacts in IS-IT research, and observations on the perceived standing of IT as a discipline or sub-discipline.

Stakeholders’ enactment of competing logics in IT governance: polarization, compromise or synthesis?

“…Within this rationality IT developers' role is to design systems that model an objective rationality in a way that will turn the system into a useful tool for managers and (other) users to achieve their common ends (p. 1203). IT professionalism as an occupational culture arises from both IT professionals' education and their personal and work experiences (Agresti, 2011;Guzman & Stanton, 2009). Professional IT associations and communities enforce this culture, where IT professionalism becomes visible in systems thinking, the frequent use of technical jargon and an emphasis on the value of technical knowledge (Agresti, 2011;Guzman, Stam, & Stanton, 2008).…”

“…IT professionalism as an occupational culture arises from both IT professionals' education and their personal and work experiences (Agresti, 2011;Guzman & Stanton, 2009). Professional IT associations and communities enforce this culture, where IT professionalism becomes visible in systems thinking, the frequent use of technical jargon and an emphasis on the value of technical knowledge (Agresti, 2011;Guzman, Stam, & Stanton, 2008). IT professionalism highlights the beneficial role of computerized technologies in organizational life with the user as central actor (Kling, 1980).…”

Exploring institutional logics to dynamic ambidexterity in health information system implementation in the public health sector of Ethiopia

“…IT professionalism emphasizes technical knowledge gained from IT education, and personal, and work experience (Agresti, 2011). However, this case revealed how the IT logic underpinning DHIS2 implementation disregarded the personal and work experience gained from DHIS2 development and implementation by excluding HISP under the NIT direction to use the local capacity to customize DHIS2.…”

“…Furthermore, IT logic is concerned with measurement, and testing to offer precession, and implement rational standards using appropriate development methodologies (Mok, 2010) that builds on systems sciences (Agresti, 2011). However, the IT experts on the core customization team, dominated by centralized logic, could not use the appropriate measurement and testing mechanisms due to the constraints of human resources in the core customization team to meet the deadline given by managers.…”