Portfolios of Control Modes and IS Project Management
Authors: Kirsch, Laurie S.
Journal: Information Systems Research (1997)
DOI: 10.1287/isre.8.3.215
<jats:p> In spite of the attention it has received, there is still much that is not understood about the management of systems development efforts. This research examines one aspect of the management process: the function of control. In this paper, control is viewed broadly, encompassing all attempts to ensure individuals in organizations act in a manner that is consistent with meeting organizational goals and objectives. Control is categorized into formal modes (behavioral, outcome) and informal modes (clan, self). Formal and informal control modes are implemented via a variety of mechanisms, such as linking pay with performance, socialization, and team-building. Relatively little is known about the modes of control used to manage information systems development efforts. The objective of this research is to address this lack of understanding in the literature by exploring how control modes are implemented during systems development projects and by investigating why IS and user stakeholders implement particular combinations of control modes. To meet this objective, a series of four case studies of systems development projects was conducted. The results reveal that users, as well a…