Strategic IT, but not by ITself: On the relevance of the organizational context for strategic success with IT

Information technology (IT) has performed an important role in the functioning of organizations during the last decades. IT concerns the automation of the information services in and between organizations. Many authors consider the (automation of) information services as important because they regard "information" as a production factor in addition to the traditional production factors of "land, labor and capital". Information services concern the input, storage, processing and distribution of information for the execution, the planning and control, and the support of the primary processes of organizations. Via the automation of the information services, this execution, planning and control, and support of the primary processes may improve. The organization’s use of IT is found in the field of (Management) Information Systems. This field is concerned with the planning, development and use of information systems for the performance, management and support of organizational activities. Although the costs of certain components used in the automation of the information services, such as 'chips' and software, have been dropping, the total investment in IT has been rising. New technology and improvements in knowledge enable newer and more advanced applications with better opportunities than before. The exploitation of these opportunities is, however, no triviality. Therefore, the goal of the research is to gain insight into the exploitation of the IT. This study researches the ways in which organizations really improve their performance. It is aimed, in particular, at the strategic functioning of organizations; hence, we speak about the strategic usage of IT