Abstract
In this paper, the researcher reports on an empirical qualitative case study which investigated the
extant information systems (IS) in a not-for-profit (NFP) healthcare delivery organisation in
Australia. The researcher was exploring the readiness of the organisation for business intelligence
(BI) initiatives prior to a decision on the BI project proceeding or otherwise. Shortly after the
completion of the case study, the executive managers of the organisation reached an unforeseen
negative decision regarding the BI project although BI remains a strategic objective. The sensemaking
processes associated with the decision are discussed in this paper with sense making as the
over-arching conceptual framework. The study found that, despite some support for BI at the
individual level, corporate memory of a recent failed IT project and lack of a committed business
sponsor at the organisational level meant that in the quest for meaning, the decision makers had
reverted to past patterns of sense making to reject the BI project. The contributions of the study are
derived from utilising sense-making concepts with an industry readiness methodology. This paper
should be of value to both academics and practitioners worldwide as they work with organisations
especially in the NFP sector that are considering embarking on complex and innovative BI projects.
extant information systems (IS) in a not-for-profit (NFP) healthcare delivery organisation in
Australia. The researcher was exploring the readiness of the organisation for business intelligence
(BI) initiatives prior to a decision on the BI project proceeding or otherwise. Shortly after the
completion of the case study, the executive managers of the organisation reached an unforeseen
negative decision regarding the BI project although BI remains a strategic objective. The sensemaking
processes associated with the decision are discussed in this paper with sense making as the
over-arching conceptual framework. The study found that, despite some support for BI at the
individual level, corporate memory of a recent failed IT project and lack of a committed business
sponsor at the organisational level meant that in the quest for meaning, the decision makers had
reverted to past patterns of sense making to reject the BI project. The contributions of the study are
derived from utilising sense-making concepts with an industry readiness methodology. This paper
should be of value to both academics and practitioners worldwide as they work with organisations
especially in the NFP sector that are considering embarking on complex and innovative BI projects.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The 16th Pacific-Aisa Conference on Information Systems (PACIS 2012) |
| Editors | Shan L. Pan, Tru H. Cao |
| Place of Publication | USA |
| Publisher | Association for Information Systems |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
| Event | 16th Pacific-Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS2 012) - Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Duration: 11 Jul 2012 → 15 Jul 2012 |
Conference
| Conference | 16th Pacific-Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS2 012) |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Viet Nam |
| City | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Period | 11/07/12 → 15/07/12 |