Revealing knowledge networks from computer mediated communication in organizations

Managers continually invest in new information technology (IT) but the question of organizationalvalue still seems vague. One explanation is poor evaluation. In practice the Business Case includingReturn on Investment (ROI) still dominate. Information System research has noted for a long time thatthe Economic Approach is not sufficient and instead the Interpretative IT Evaluation Approach hasbeen put forward. However, the approach has reached limited acceptance in practice and it has beennoted that what to evaluate is a far more complex process than might first appear. The aim of thisstudy is to articulate factors and criteria that are important to consider when assessing theorganizational value of IT investments. This study is part of a Collaborative Practice Research projectthat took place 2005-2008 at three public organizations. The findings indicate that it is time to take astep from a Business Case to a Value Case. The Value Case is a pluralistic, a formative and aformalized approach that includes factors and criteria that have its base in prior research and havebeen further discussed and analyzed by the respondents. The Value Case also put management’sattention to effectiveness and efficiency, the task of management.