Investigating the Information Systems Heterarchy

Abstract

This article assesses how one IS organization is changing in response to the increased globalization of software development and posits the emergence of a new form of multi-national enterprise (MNE)—the heterarchy. Data from two projects create new insights into the structures and behaviors of IS MNEs as they adapt to global systems development. The article identifies four primary dimensions of impact—cultural, economic, operational, and organizational—and suggests how such organizations are evolving.

Keywords:

• offshoring
• globalization
• heterarchy
• grounded theory
• multinational enterprise
• international business

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brian Gannon

Brian Gannon is an experienced IT professional and academic with a track record as CIO and IT strategist. He has worked for Shell, Accenture, Capgemini, and Standard Chartered Bank in senior IS roles and was the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Allied Irish Banks. He currently works for Kainos, an IT firm, and leads the company’s business in Great Britain. He is a visiting research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, where he lectures on professional, legal and organizational issues in computing. His research interests include IS in practice, IS history, IS outsourcing and offshoring, and healthcare informatics.

David Wilson

David Wilson is a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at Birkbeck, University of London, where he directs the Masters in Information Systems and Management. He joined academia on accepting a post at Hong Kong Polytechnic in the late 1970s, having worked in innovative large information processing projects in the UK Civil Service and completing a Post Graduate Diploma from the LSE. He holds a PhD in Industrial & Business Studies from Warwick University and has research interests in IS development with particular reference to cross-cultural issues.

Philip Powell

Philip Powell is Pro Vice-Master and Executive Dean at Birkbeck, University of London. He was Deputy Dean, University of Bath, and Director of the IS Research Unit at Warwick Business School. He has worked in Australia, Africa, the U.S., and Europe. Before becoming an academic, he worked in insurance, accounting, and systems analysis. He is the author of 12 books and numerous book chapters, and his work has appeared in over 110 international journals and 150 conferences. He is editor-in-chief of the ISJ. He is a past president of UKAIS and holds an honorary chair at the University of Groningen.