Key Information Technologies in the mid-1990s as Perceived by the Accounting Profession and Business Managers

Abstract

As information technology is playing a bigger ro!e in all business, professional and government organisations than ever before, it has become increasingly important to be able to forecast the direction of the use of this technology.

Being able to predict which information technologies will succeed in becoming important to business and other organisations has many advantages including the fact that appropriate training programmes may be prepared so that the technology will be relatively easily integrated into the organisation. Competent forecasting also assists firms in developing technological strategies which will ensure an acceptable level of integration throughout the organisation.

The research on which this paper reports used the delphi technique in order to forecast which information technologies will be the most important to firms during the next three to five years. Two groups of professionals participated in this research, accountants and auditors, and managers.

The findings of the research indicate that in the next three to five years fairly well established information technologies, such as Local Area Networks, Executive Information Systems and Electronic Data Interchange will dominate corporate agendas.

Keywords:

• IT issues
• managers
• accountants
• IT professionals
• delphi
• survey

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dan Remenyi

Dan Remenyi is Professor of Accounting and Head of the Business information Systems Division at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Frances Sutherland

Frances Sutherland is a senior lecturer in Business information Systems at the University of the Witwatersrand.