| The capability of organizations to operate on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework is reliant on ITIL process measurements. Appropriate ITIL process measurements help ensure desired outcomes, enable corrective actions to take place prior to process failure, and direct process activities towards continuous improvement. The ITIL publications provide guidance for each of the ITIL process measurements, but many organizations face challenges in effectively developing and using measurements. Over half of organizations that have deployed ITIL report inadequate measurements for their ITIL processes. The problem this correlational study addressed is the lack of ITIL process measurements. The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship of organizational factors and the implementation of ITIL process measures. A quantitative bivariate correlational study was the research method selected to examine the relationship of the identified organizational factors (process manager's ITIL certification, availability of ITIL process measures data, ITIL tool implementation, and adequate staffing of resources) and the dependent variable (implementation of ITIL process measurements). An online survey was distributed to approximately 4000 respondents representing approximately 1350 North America organizations that have implemented one or more of the ITIL processes. Internal consistency was validated through Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient. Spearman's rho was calculated on the 122 responses received, which showed a positive correlation between the implementation of ITIL process measurements and all identified organizational factors (a) process manager's ITIL certification (rs=.447, p<.01), (b) availability of ITIL process measures data (rs=.644, p<.01), (c) ITIL tool implementation (rs=.720, p<.01), and (d) adequate staffing of resources (r s=.364, p<.01) such that the null hypotheses were rejected with confidence and the alternative hypotheses accepted. Recommendations for future research include: (a) a replicated study in a larger geographical area, (b) analysis of demographic characteristics based on respondents' position in the organization and ITIL certification, (c) an exploratory study to gather in-depth understanding of gaps in identified organizational factors, and (d) additional studies on relationships such as organizational maturity, commitment from senior leadership, or allocated funding... |
