Information Technology Governance Practices Adoption through an Institutional Perspective: The Perception of Brazilian and American CIOs

Information Technology Governance (ITG) has gained prominence in the organizational scenario specially because the need better management of IT assets. This article searched to understand how the incorporation of certain practices takes place using the institutional lens for structuring and analysis. The objective is to identify the influence of institutional factors in the adoption of ITG practices. A semi-structured interview guide with qualitative objective was administered to Brazilian and American CIOs. The answers from the IT executives in Brazil and the U.S. made it possible to identify the presence/absence of isomorphic mechanisms in the adoption of the practices. The results indicate that the Brazilian and the American CIOs have similar perceptions about the adoption of ITG practices. Both believe that the pressures are usually derived from the external environment, and may come from institutionalized practices, from professionalization of the field, and from models to be followed.