Critical Issues of Information Systems Management in Kuwait

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate IS managers' perceptions of the IS management issues in Kuwait, in particular, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, in general. The study uses a structured interview technique as the primary data collection method. The opinions of the highest ranked executives or managers for the IS functions are solicited for a sample of Kuwaiti organizations. The participating IS executives and managers are from a variety of organizations, both public and private. The results indicate that IS managers are equally concerned with managerial and technology related issues. The overriding priorities are strongly related to the general category of information infrastructure issues. The responding organizations tended to perceive most of the issues more as opportunities rather than problems. A comparative analysis reveals some similarities and differences in the type and ranking of the key issues between Kuwait and the U.S. Moreover, substantial differences exist in this study's key issue framework compared to that of the GCC study that was conducted a decade ago. Thus, the challenge facing these countries is not so much a lack of IT resources, but how to manage, deploy, and leverage these resources to get optimal utilization.