IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/syspar/v33y2020i1d10.1007_s11213-019-09515-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Systemic Exploration of the Risk Factors in Zimbabwean Information Technology Projects

Author

Listed:
  • Tendai Kanjanda

    (University of Cape Town)

  • Nien-Tsu Tuan

    (University of Cape Town)

Abstract

This paper explores the risk factors threatening Zimbabwean Information Technology (IT) projects and build a systemic model demonstrating how the identified risk factors are interconnected. Drawn on systemic thinking, a soft systems approach called Interactive Management (IM) was adopted to identify the risk factors. The Interactive Management session involved the relevant stakeholders to interactively produce the systemic model through four major phases: idea generation, idea clarification, idea structuring, and interpretation of the structured ideas. The output of the Interactive Management process is a digraph showing the causal relationships between the identified risks. Six risk drivers were identified through the Interactive Management process: limited computer literacy, poor communication, lack of executive support, complexity of design, bureaucracy, and employee turnover. The constructed model demonstrates how the identified risk factors are interconnected. It also shows that non-linear relationships exist between risk factors. The output from this exploration has the potential to be used as a starting point to mitigate the risks impacting on Zimbabwean IT projects. Different from the output of frequently used approaches, the risk drivers identified in the systemic model inform decision makers to exploit the effective strategies in preventing other risks from materializing.

Suggested Citation

  • Tendai Kanjanda & Nien-Tsu Tuan, 2020. "A Systemic Exploration of the Risk Factors in Zimbabwean Information Technology Projects," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 77-93, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:syspar:v:33:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11213-019-09515-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11213-019-09515-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11213-019-09515-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11213-019-09515-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Syed Arshad Raza & Atiq W. Siddiqui & Craig Standing, 2019. "Exploring Systemic Problems in IS Adoption Using Critical Systems Heuristics," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 125-153, April.
    2. Kevin J. Stiroh, 2002. "Information Technology and the U.S. Productivity Revival: What Do the Industry Data Say?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(5), pages 1559-1576, December.
    3. Masechaba Nthunya & Nien-Tsu Tuan & Corrinne Shaw & Ian Jay, 2017. "A Systemic Exploration of Lesotho’s Basic Education through Interactive Management," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 257-276, June.
    4. Nien-Tsu Tuan & Corrinne Shaw, 2016. "Consideration of Ethics in Systemic Thinking," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 51-60, February.
    5. Nien-Tsu Tuan, 2018. "A Systemic Inquiry into the AIDS Epidemic in the Western Cape of South Africa through Interactive Management," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 421-435, August.
    6. Erik Brynjolfsson & Lorin M. Hitt, 2000. "Beyond Computation: Information Technology, Organizational Transformation and Business Performance," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 23-48, Fall.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nien-Tsu Tuan, 2022. "The Other Side of Success Factors—A Systemic Methodology for Exploring Critical Success Factors," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 441-452, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nien-Tsu Tuan, 2022. "The Other Side of Success Factors—A Systemic Methodology for Exploring Critical Success Factors," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 441-452, June.
    2. Kiley, Michael T., 2001. "Computers and growth with frictions: aggregate and disaggregate evidence," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 171-215, December.
    3. António Madureira & Nico Baken & Harry Bouwman, 2011. "Value of digital information networks: a holonic framework," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-30, April.
    4. Elstner, Steffen & Grimme, Christian & Kecht, Valentin & Lehmann, Robert, 2022. "The diffusion of technological progress in ICT," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    5. Dale W. Jorgenson & Mun S. Ho & Kevin J. Stiroh, 2005. "Growth of US Industries and Investments in Information Technology and Higher Education," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring Capital in the New Economy, pages 403-478, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Harald Edquist & Magnus Henrekson, 2006. "Technological Breakthroughs and Productivity Growth," Research in Economic History, in: Research in Economic History, pages 1-53, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    7. Merima Ali & Abdulaziz B. Shifa & Abebe Shimeles & Firew Woldeyes, 2021. "Building Fiscal Capacity in Developing Countries: Evidence on the Role of Information Technology," National Tax Journal, University of Chicago Press, vol. 74(3), pages 591-620.
    8. Richard Dion & Robert Fay, 2008. "Understanding Productivity: A Review of Recent Technical Research," Discussion Papers 08-3, Bank of Canada.
    9. Li, Yanfei & Yao, Shuntian & Chia, Wai-Mun, 2009. "Endogenous Firm and Information Rent Under Demand Uncertainty," MPRA Paper 13506, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 16 Feb 2009.
    10. Szalavetz, Andrea, 2011. "Innovációvezérelt növekedés? [Innovation-driven growth?]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(5), pages 460-476.
    11. Nicholas Bloom & Raffaella Sadun & John Van Reenen, 2012. "Americans Do IT Better: US Multinationals and the Productivity Miracle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(1), pages 167-201, February.
    12. Comin,Diego A. & Xavier Cirera & Marcio Cruz, 2025. "Technology Sophistication across Establishments," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11051, The World Bank.
    13. Erik Brynjolfsson & Andrew McAfee & Michael Sorell & Feng Zhu, 2007. "Scale without mass: business process replication and industry dynamics," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov.
    14. Barry P. Bosworth & Jack E. Triplett, 2007. "The Early 21st Century U.S. Productivity Expansion is Still in Services," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 14, pages 3-19, Spring.
    15. Guido Schryen, 2010. "Preserving Knowledge on IS Business Value," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 2(4), pages 233-244, August.
    16. Crafts, Nicholas, 2003. "Quantifying the contribution of technological change to economic growth in different eras: a review of the evidence," Economic History Working Papers 22350, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    17. Edquist, Harald & Henrekson, Magnus, 2017. "Swedish lessons: How important are ICT and R&D to economic growth?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1-12.
    18. Georg Graetz & Guy Michaels, 2018. "Robots at Work," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(5), pages 753-768, December.
    19. Susanto Basu & John G. Fernald, 2008. "Information and communications technology as a general purpose technology: evidence from U.S. industry data," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, pages 1-15.
    20. Fabiano Schivardi & Tom Schmitz, 2020. "The IT Revolution and Southern Europe’s Two Lost Decades [Lack of Selection and Limits to Delegation: Firm Dynamics in Developing Countries]," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(5), pages 2441-2486.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:syspar:v:33:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11213-019-09515-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.