The Effect of Emerging IT Groups on Coping with Rapid IT Change

Rapid IT change increases the complexity of IT management. In response, many organizations dedicate a group of IT professionals to evaluate emerging IT. A survey was sent to a nationwide sample of 1,000 IT organizations asking whether or not they had such a group, and how they coped with rapid IT change. Two hundred forty-six respondents provided data. The data revealed five categories of coping, Education and Training, New Procedures, Vendor Support, Consultant Support, and Endurance. Organizations with and without a group differed significantly on all but Endurance. These findings provide a basis for future research as well as a practical understanding of how IT managers cope with changing IT