| Information systems (IS) managers are charged with improving the performance of organizations and people through the use of information technology. While many new technologies represent minor or incremental changes, others---technological discontinuities---are breakthrough innovations that significantly advance the technological resources of companies and entire industries. Technological discontinuities may allow an organization to build on its expertise, or may obsolete existing systems and infrastructure, management approaches, and organizational competencies. These changes occur infrequently, but when they do, they have profound impacts on organizations and industries.; One challenging characteristic of technological innovations is that IS managers must prospectively analyze and often take steps to deploy an innovation that later may become a technological discontinuity. This research examined IS managers' assessments, actions, and project outcomes for one technological innovation: business-to-business electronic commerce (B2B). It includes a field study of thirteen case studies of B2B initiatives in a number of industries. Results showed that IS managers have problems prospectively determining a technology's impact on organizational competencies. They generally take steps consistent with their assessments, but often overlook important competencies requiring further development. Results showed that managers' failure to develop key organizational competencies contributes to disappointing project outcomes.; This research tested the work system framework as an alternative tool for assessing a technology's impacts on organizational competencies. Retrospective assessments of B2B projects using the work system framework accurately identified technical and business competencies that were necessary for project success. However, findings showed that work system models were difficult to use and did not identify certain management competencies necessary for deploying the innovation. But, despite its limitations, the work system framework shows promise as tool for prospectively assessing emerging technologies.; A key contribution of the dissertation is a balanced scorecard strategy map, which overcomes many of the limitations of the work system framework. IS managers should find the strategy map useful in analyzing an innovation's impacts on technical, business, and management competencies. Also, the strategy map should prove helpful for IS managers in plotting a course for developing those competencies necessary for project success. |
