No abstract

No abstract

is a doctoral candidate at Queensland University of Technology. She holds an MBA from Henley (UK) and has been a successful chief executive, company director, business consultant and an advisor in the use of technology, to both public and private sector enterprises. Glenn Stewartis a Professor of Information Technology, Information Systems School, Queensland University of Technology. His research interests include IT leadership, cultural infl uences on enterprise systems and global business process management projects, and the relationship between the CIO and the business leadership team. He is currently leading research on enterprise architectures methods supporting business IT investment and governance. ABSTRACT In an increasingly business technology (BT) dependent world, the impact of the extraordinary changes brought about by the nexus of mobile and cloud technologies, social media and big data is increasingly being felt in the board room. As leaders of enterprises of every type and size, board directors can no longer afford to ignore, delegate or avoid BT-related decisions . Competitive, fi nancial and reputational risk is increased if boards fail to recognize their role in governing technology as an asset and in removing barriers to improving enterprise business technology governance (EBTG). Directors ' awareness of the need for EBTG is increasing. However, industry research shows that board level willingness to rectify the gap between awareness and action is very low or non-existent. This literature review-based research identifi es barriers to EBTG effectiveness. It provides a practical starting point for board analysis. We offer four outcomes that boards might focus on to ensure the organizations they govern are not left behind by those led by the upcoming new breed of technology-savvy leaders. Most extant research looks backward for examples, examining datapre-2010, the time when a tipping point in the personal and business use of multimedia and mobile internet devices signifi cantly deepened the impacts of the identifi ed nexus technology forces, and began rapidly changing the way in which many businesses engage with their customers, employees and stakeholders. We situate our work amidst these nexus forces, discuss the board ' s role in EBTG in this context and modernize current defi nitions of enterprise technology governance. The primary limitation faced is the lack of scholarly research relating to EBTG in the rapidly changing digital economy. Although we have used recent (2011 -2013) industry surveys, the volume of these surveys and congruence across them is signifi cant in

T echnology is getting more complex, more invasive, and more disruptive.Information and technology (IT) offer great opportunities, but also increased risks. Once rock-solid business models are being disrupted. Whole sectors are being outstripped by digital-savvy organizations that are using the power of mobile, data analytics, social, sensing, and cloud technologies. These technologies and the astonishing amount of information they generate are being used to create new products and services, and improved ways to engage with stakeholders. In fact, technology-savvy customers are driving a lot of change.Against this backdrop, it seems unfathomable that building governance of enterprise information and technology (GEIT) capability within boards of directors remains only aspirational. Perhaps digitization has crept up on boards 1 due to the speed of digital change. The problem is, too many directors lack IT governance knowledge, skills, and experience. In this chapter we discuss the 574 575 increasing risks of boards not building GEIT capability, and provide a range of practical steps they can take to strengthen IT oversight.The business use of cloud, mobile, social, big data, and sensing technologies is transforming organizations and whole sectors at a very rapid pace. These digital technologies and the information they create are key components in the development of strategies as digital technology becomes deeply embedded into organizations, governments, societies, and economies. Such phenomena creates digital intensity, which encompasses the extent of investment in IT and technology-driven change initiatives, because of rapid business model and IT/digital transformation (Westerman, Tannou, Bonnet, Ferraris, and McAfee 2012). Digital technologies are considered integral to the future of organiza tions, large and small, public and private, across all industries around the world, by more than 90 percent of directors and senior managers (Valentine 2016). As digital intensity increases, business strategy and digital strategy become fused, catapulting enterprise information and technology governance into the world of corporate governance.Yet, as technology becomes further and further embedded into our work and private lives, it appears that GEIT competence remains the elephant in the boardroom for more than 80 percent of boards. In contrast, less than 20 percent of corporate boards worldwide report having confidence that they have tech nology-capable directors (NACD 2014). Consider this:Recent research concludes that GEIT competency of boards is potentially as important as the game-changing technologies boards must oversee. GEIT is becoming a new core competence for boards of directors (Valentine 2016). The Skill ShortageThe problem is a skill shortage at the top. Your organization does not need to be a multinational for capable GEIT to be a requirement in your board. And you're not alone. Right around the world, directors vary significantly in their personal competency and collective capability to provide effective info...

No abstract