Information technology and business strategy in Romania

The use of in formation technology to support business objectives is now ingrained into the thinking of most Western managers. Companies in advanced market economies cannot succeed without this support. On the other hand, managers in the companies in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe live day-to-day with information systems designed to support the centrally planned economies that existed before 1989. To succeed in the transition to a market economy Eastern European information systems must be substantially reworked and augmented. This paper reports on the progress being made by six Romanian firms in realigning information technology to support the move to a market economy. The results show that progress has been limited.