The Performance Effects of Administrative Innovations--IT Organizational Design Changes in US State Governments

Bentley University, Waltham MA

Investigators

Abstract

Organizations, whether private or public, devote enormous resources to developing, adopting, learning about, and communicating the changes they make in organizational structures and management processes, but many observers argue that changes often fail to produce the intended results. Consequently, careful analysis of the results of major organizational innovations has considerable potential to inform and guide future decisions about their adoption. This study examines whether and how innovations in management practices improve the functioning of complex organizations. Focusing on information technology (IT) management innovations in state governments, this study employs surveys and interviews in all 50 states to examine combinations of innovative IT management practices, the sequence and timing of practice adoption, and effects on state government performance. In-depth case studies will complement the population study to reveal the processes by which innovative practices can lead to performance improvements. The need for better IT management is especially clear in government organizations, which continually struggle with the need to "do more with less." This set of studies will help answer the question: under what conditions do innovative practices pay off in terms of better state government performance? The project emphasizes IT governance, IT architecture design, and IT procurement, because these practice areas are believed by experts to be most critical for improving the success of government IT projects. However, the findings will contribute to knowledge about innovation in management practices in general, not just to state governments. Study results will be disseminated both to academic researchers and to practitioners.