An empirical evaluation of stages of strategic information systems planning: patterns of process design and effectiveness

While much has been written about strategic information systems planning (SISP), two important aspects have been under-emphasized. The first is the planning process or how planning is accomplished. The second is planning evolution or how planning evolves as a learning system. Both perspectives can provide practical guidance on how organizations will change their planning process over time in an attempt to improve their effectiveness as well as leverage their investment in SISP. This paper draws on prior literature to identify key dimensions of SISP and its effectiveness. The evolution of these dimensions is studied as a three-stage model. The results provide an interesting insight into how planning evolves as organizations reconcile seemingly contradictory “rational” and “adaptive” dimensions of planning. This balanced approach to planning is shown to be more effective, providing strong implications for both research and practice.