A study of the review and improvement of IT governance in Australian universities

Abstract

This research uses a case study approach to examine how IT governance has evolved in eight public universities in Australia. Data is gathered through interviews of IT management, university executive, and representatives of the core functional areas. This study adds to the body of knowledge on strategic IT management by exploring the effects of advancing technology and business environmental changes on IT governance in complex, decentralised organisations. The research found that all of the universities examined shared a common history of highly decentralised, faculty based IT functions which appeared to be a natural evolution from the initial move from mainframe computing several decades ago. In each of the case studies this evolution has led to a multitude of IT related issues. These include duplication of resources, difficulty in achieving institution wide alignment with strategic business objectives, and IT risks that were not being managed. As a consequence these institutions were in various stages of review and subsequent implementation of comprehensive IT governance restructures. The paper provides a rich insight into the motivations, process and outcomes of the review process.