ABSTRACT
Policies for Information Technology The potential of information technology in organisations is immense. We may already be in the early stages of an 'information revolution' which will transform society to the same dramatic degree as the Industrial Revolution. Already information technology is one of the major forces shaping the way organisations are changing. We might then expect information technology applications to be a major item on the agenda of Company Boards and for senior management resources to be devoted to the study of the potential of the technology. Whilst there are a growing number of organisations where this is the case there are a great many more where the subject is left to the technical specialists on the principle that it is a technical matter of no concern to general management. There are a number of reasons why this is a dangerous policy:
1. Organisational Objectives. The time when information technology applications should be cost justified on the basis of straightforward resource reductions or productivity gains has gone. The strategic application of information technology depends on conceiving of ways in which the technology can be harnessed to serve major organisational objectives and senior management must be involved in setting these objectives and judging ways of meeting them.
