The Effect Mechanisms Of ISS Leadership Team Communication On Shared Understanding

Modern organizations are increasingly dependent on information systems (ISs). In despite of significant investment in ISs, organizations have often found themselves fail to initiate and implement ISs effectively. The"cultural gap"between CIO and top management team (TMT), refered to as ISs leadership team (ISLT), in understanding about the role of ISs has been being regarded as a major obstacle to IS success. ISLT with deficient communication can not synergeticly take charge of organizational chage related to or fueled by IT. Shared understanding (SU) between CIO and TMT can facilitate the alignment of ISs with business and ISs success, which in turn predicts both ISs and business performance.Based on Communication Convergence theory and Social Exchange theory, this dissertation constructed a research model to depict the effect mechanisms of ISLT communication on SU, and provided three kinds of hypotheses, which were about the effects of communication, shared knowledge and mutual trust, the mediating role of shared knowledge and trust, and the discrepancy of SU on control variables. Mixed approach, survey research combined with case study, directed the data collection. A total of 232 organizations located in 12 provinces were investigated, followed by 10 CIOs interview. With a survey of 137 CIO/TMT matched pairs, the research tested the hypotheses using factor analysis, variance analysis, structural equation modeling and other statistical methods. The empirial results and the case study finding (from 4 cases) were discussed together. The last section of this dissertation presented the limitations and impliations for pratice and future research.In general, the main conclusions and theoretical contributions of the research included as followings:(1) The contruct of ISs role and SU were modified. ISs role consisted of current role and future role, and the latter had two demisions, named as managerial support future role and competitive enhancement future role. Accordingly, SU were composed of two distinct aspects, one dimesion for SU on current role and two for SU on future role. The construct modification made contributions to the strategic grid framework theory and the measurement of SU.(2) It confirmed the effects of informal/formal communication on SU. In Chinese organizations, informal communication between CIO and TMT had a significantly positive impact on SU, which was supported by Hofstede's national culture theory. However, the influence of formal communication could not be neglected. The combination of the two forms of communication induced indeal effects on SU. The proposition provided Chinese empirical evidence for Preston et al. (2006)'s cross-cultural exploration.(3) Shared knowledge (CIO business knowledge and TMT IT knowledge) and trust (affect- and cognition-based trust) had different effects on the two aspects of SU. The result showed that SU on future role rather than SU on current role was influenced by these variables, which not only supported the suggestion that the two aspects of SU were distinct, but also enriched our knowledge of the different antecedents of and the dissimilar effects on SU in current and future time frame.(4) The research clarified the effect mechanisms of communication on SU. The mediation analysis indicated that shared knowledge and trust partially mediated the impact of communication frequency and informality on SU on future role. Moreover, case study results manifested the moderating role of IS success on the relationship between communication and SU. Generally, those findings integrated and expanded prior research, by uncovering the influence path and contingency factor.