| The focus of this study is on the use of information technology in the strategic decision making process. The study looks at the types of Information Technology (IT) used and their level of use; how the IT is utilized; and the perceived level of performance of the technology being used. Data is presented on a number of other factors (decision making activities, the decision maker's status within the organization, the strategic content of the decision, and user experience) to determine their impact on the use or performance of IT in the strategic decision making process.;The study also seeks to determine whether or not a number of decision related factors affect the use and/or performance of IT in the decision making process. These factors include: the type of decision (opportunity or problem/crisis); the decision activity (identification, development, or selection); the degree of organization and user involvement in the development of IT; the level of user experience; the organizational support for the technology; the decision making comprehensiveness of the organization; and the overall satisfaction with the decision outcome. These factors led to the development of a basic hypothesis and numerous propositions.;General hypothesis. IT will have a direct and positive impact on the strategic decision making process.;Rather than performing an evaluation of the various decision software packages on the market today, this study examines the factors affecting the use and performance of IT in the strategic decision making process. The study examines, at an organizational level, two strategic decisions in each of three different firms (an international freight company, a national computer service company, and a regional utilities firm). The lack of previous academic research in this area called for a qualitative case study (case cluster/mixed model) methodology. A chronology of each decision was constructed, as well as a description of the use of information technology in the decision making process. Information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and the collection of archival data to determine which organizational process factors influence the use and performance of IT in the strategic decision making process. The six resulting case studies combine the researcher's observations with face value results of the one-on-one interviews and questionnaires. |
