Configurations of Information Technology Governance Practices and Business Unit Performance

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to investigate the existence of configurations of information technology governance within organizations and to zoom in on their role in driving business value. This study proposes a research model that relies on the configurational theory in an attempt to reveal different clusters of IT governance practices and link them with the performance of business units from a financial and non-financial perspective. To test the model, 57 matched surveys were collected from medium to large international organizations. Three configurations of IT governance practices have emerged with distinct and significant impact on the business unit non-financial performance. However, no significant impact on the business unit financial performance was directly found. The results show that more mature IT governance practices within organizations can result in higher levels of performance at the business unit level in terms of business processes, decision making, innovation, and legal and ethical compliance.