The impact of interactions between factors influencing Information Communication Technology use on a company's performance: Application of systems theory and case study research methods

Thus, systems theory research methods enabled the analysis of interactions between factors influencing ICT use and four groups of ICT effects. As an outcome of being able to explain how interactions between factors influenced ICT use and its impact on a company's performance, factors relevant for realisation of each group of ICT effects were identified. The following factors have been identified as determining informational and strategic ICT effects: ICT integration and compatibility, ICT utilisation, managers' ICT knowledge, organisational strategies and alignment between ICT and organisational strategies. In addition, organisational cultural influences, informational ICT effects have been found to be influential. Furthermore, informational ICT effects have been identified as foundational to the realisation of other groups of ICT effects. Factors which influenced the realisation of transactional ICT effects were ICT integration, ICT utilisation, managers' support, and alignment between ICT and organisational strategies. It was also found that a range of different factors influenced the realisation of the transformational ICT effects in each company. This research has demonstrated that ICT value creation is a complex phenomenon which occurs on multiple levels of analysis and is determined by a number of factors from various contexts.