ABSTRACT
And that in the end they got the better of those whose
actions were dictated by loyalty and good faith.
Machiavelli, The Prince
CIOs strive to be partners with their business col-
leagues. True partnerships are not what many of us
think they are. A partnership is a reciprocal relation-
ship between parties of approximately equal power and
status. This is where IT relationships with the rest of
the enterprise often fall short. When in an order-taker
relationship, IT may feel that it is giving while the rest
of the enterprise is taking. This kind of relationship
often evolves because IT believes it is in a weaker posi-
tion due to previous delivery challenges, or that this is
simply its appropriate role.
