Environmental scanning for information technology: an empirical investigation

Authors:
Jerry L. Maier;R. Kelly Rainer, Jr.;Charles A. Snyder
Affiliations:
-;-;-
Venue:
Journal of Management Information Systems - Special section: Strategic and competitive information systems
Year:
1997

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Abstract

An increasing number of organizations are recognizing the strategic significance of their information technology (IT) resources. A process by which emerging information technologies may be effectively identified and evaluated is rapidly becoming a necessity. This process may be accomplished through scanning the external IT environment.Based on the strategic emphasis given to IT resources, organizations may be classified as exploiter/innovator (EI), competitor/early adopter (CEA), or participant/effective efficient follower (PEEF). This study uses data from 131 top information systems managers to examine differences in the three types of organizations across a number of issues concerning the process of scanning the external IT environment. These issues include: (1) the objectives of scanning the external IT environment; (2) the methods of scanning the external IT environment; (3) the existence of separate units dedicated to IT scanning; (4) the level of IT scanning intensity; (5) the sources of information used for IT scanning; and (6) the level of top management involvement with IT scanning.