Fon Sundaravej
Information Technology Planning in the 1990’s: Directions for Practice and Research
By Andrew C. Boynton and Robert W. Zmud
This article demonstrates significant shifts in IT management and predicts directions of IT planning
in 1990s. From mid of 1960s to 1970s, IT was employed to integrate core business functions with
IT. Consequently, an IS function began to emerge in organizations. Later from mid of 1970s to
1980s, IT increasingly supported managers and professional staff in organizations. In 1990s,
Boynton and Zmud expected the dispersion of IT activities to subunits. Within the information
economy, the IS function is one of many subunits possessing significant IT capabilities. The IS
function empowers subunits, while subunits gain increased autonomy. Business professionals in
1990s tend to be able to apply IT resources by themselves. During this era, balanced approach,
where IS management maintains responsibility for certain activities yet surrenders control over
other activities, is predicted. To response to this change, IT planning with nine planning agenda and
eleven planning behaviors is recommended. Based on the study, it appeared that less attention has
been given to planning behaviors. Some areas of planning agenda and behaviors have attracted little
attention in the literature. Finally, future research should pay more attention to planning activities in
an information economy due to increasing importance of IT capabilities in subunits.
The article “Information Technology Planning in the 1990’s: Directions for Practice and Research”
by Boynton and Zmud (1987) provides an overview evolution of IT planning in organizations in a
half decade ago. The predictions of the IT planning in 1990s or even in the contemporary period are
precise. To date, organizations have been empowering their employees to get involved in the
strategic IT planning and have been decentralizing IT responsibilities from the IS unit to other units
in organizations. Researchers response to this action by paying more attention to the research in the
strategic IS management domain. Cooper and Zmud (1990) examine the best conditions in the
adoption and implementation of MRP to best serve organization processes and customers in their
article “Information Technology Implementation Research: a Technological Diffusion Approach.”
Goodhue et al. (1988) in the article “Managing the Data Resource: a Contingency Perspective”
studies several patterns used in managing the data resource in organizations during 1980s. Similar
to Boynton and Zmud’ (1987) article, this study reflects the picture of IT goals, scopes, processes,
planning, and tools among that period of time. Segars and Grover (1999) in the article “Profiles of
Strategic Information Systems Planning” begin the contemporary study in IS strategies and
planning. They offer different IT processes and plans in diverse aspects and conclude that no single
plan is the best because each of them comes with both strength and weakness. Managers have to
make managerial decision on which strategy is proper to a particular organization, situation, or
purpose. Lastly, Fichman in the article “Real Options and IT Platform Adoption: Implications for
Theory and Practice” puts more concern on cost saving of the IT investment by a recommendation
of an alternative IT planning, called real options, by using an IT platform and its adoption as a
context to explain the benefits of real options and its use in organizations.
Summarily, IT planning is a critical issue in organizations. Several studies in IS management
represent that the IT investment is costly. Companies, consequently, need to ensure the return of
their investments and benefits gained from the invested innovation by creating the most effective IT
strategy. Sometimes, the best strategy comes with high costs. It is a management’s duty to balance
the benefits and costs and to create the most effective IT planning for organizations.
IS 7890: IS Research Seminar Spring 2006