Title: An investigation of information systems project failure and its implication on organisations

Authors: Charles Adetokunbo Shoniregun

Addresses: School of Computing and Technology, University of East London, Duncan House, High Street, Straford, London E15 2JB, UK

Abstract: Information systems (IS) have become a critical tool in our environment today, as a result they have become lifelines to many business organisations. How they operate and practise their daily activity depend highly on some form of computerised information system. But despite the usage of information technology in such a widespread format, there is still a large amount of system failures in these areas. In recent years, despite the sophistication of information system technologies, IS continues to fail either during development, or at the point of implementation and use. To make computer systems safer, we need to address not merely their technical aspects, but also the cognitive and organisational aspects of their ||real-world|| application. If this does not happen, there is a risk that purely technical efforts to make computer systems safer may fail. Not only do they address only part of the problem, they may conceivably even increase risks, through their effects on beliefs about computer system. This paper investigates the macro and micro-contingency which deals with the issues concerning information system failure and examines some cases of information systems failures, and its impacts on the organisations. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire – to show the IS project failure(s) trends within organisations in the UK. In view of the information provided, it can be concluded that most IS project failures lead to the success of a future IS project because organisations seem to learn from past mistakes.

Keywords: IS project failure(s); macro and micro-contingency; information systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2004.004024

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2004 Vol.5 No.1, pp.25 - 41

Published online: 10 May 2004 *

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