Difficulties in matching emerging information technologies with business needs: A management perspective

To identify the difficulties that organizations encounter in matching state-of-the-art information technologies (IT) with their business needs, 11 large firms were studied. Based upon the data collected from 39 senior executives, the main impediments to keeping pace with emerging IT and matching it with business needs are: the fast rate of change in IT, the high cost of new technology, the lack of computer literacy among the firm's senior management, and the lack of time on the part of the information systems department to devote to emerging technologies. The implications of the results are discussed for both the technology and general managers.