Against Taylor-made solutions: information systems strategy in a learning organisation

Information Systems Strategy (1SS) has had difficulties in gaining management acceptance as a key means of harnessing the power of information in organisations. One major reason for this is the difficulty in determining the value of 1SS to the organisation. This paper argues that 1SS cannot be evaluated according to strict financial criteria. The main argument is that evaluation has been linked to the tenets of scientific management. This is no longer appropriate as organisational structures have changed to reflect a more dynamic learning environment. The argument is that evaluation of 1SS must also reflect this change. The paper describes the dynamic nature of 1SS. It presents an example of a major UK retail bank to highlight discussion of evaluation in the learning organisation.