IT Alignment through ANT: A Case of Sustainable Decision in the Educational Sector

Authors

Abstract

This paper presents a social approach to IT governance, centered on the alignment of interests of the actors involved in the decision, implementation, and control processes. Grounding our proposal on Actor-Network Theory (ANT), we provide a conceptual reference to help identify and solve social issues in IT governance. The exploratory case study of an IT decision process in a Latin American university shows how distinct actor-networks were dynamically shaped according to the stage of IT governance. ANT analysis aided managers in minimising resistances in a long decision-making process. We conclude arguing that the balance of the actors´ interests through the IT governance stages contributed to the sustainability of this IT decision.

Keywords

IT Governance; ANT; Socio-Technical Framework; Alignment; Context.

Subject

Social Issues in Information Systems

Conference

IEEE-TIC-STH, September 2009