IS Design, Development and Project Management

Technology innovation has dramatically altered the way IS are being conceived, developed, and managed in organizations. For example, rapid automation of processes using machine learning and artificial intelligence have impacted virtually every facet of IS design, development, and project management. IS development processes increasingly integrate operations with cross-functional software teams (i.e., DevOps) to manage complexity and respond with agility to changing market conditions. On the implementation front, new software development approaches combined with diverse software platforms and application environments provide the opportunity to broaden the array of approaches to design and development available to IS project managers. This enhances the prospect of approaches that fit better with organizational settings, personnel skills, and task demands. But given the complex and dynamic nature of IS projects, many projects continue to run over budget, extend past schedule, and deliver less than or different products than anticipated, needed, or preferred. Additionally, in response to the need for the large-scale digital transformation objectives, IT program management has emerged as a distinct discipline. Given that IS development projects and programs play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of organizations and enabling them to gain and sustain a competitive advantage, researchers have unique opportunities to investigate not only the social, organizational, and technical challenges and risks associated with IS project management as well as the theoretical underpinnings of the myriad practices that have emerged over time.

Track Co-Chairs
Alanah Mitchell, Ph.D., Drake University
Barney Tan, Ph.D., UNSW Sydney
Xiao Xiao, Ph.D., Copenhagen Business School