Executive support of information technology and information systems in Australian hospitals: An empirical study

Abstract

Although it is agreed that executive support is essential for the progressive use of information technology and information systems (IT) within organisations, little is known of the form this support should take. This dissertation seeks to replicate the work of Jarvenpaa and Ives (1991) who examined two constructs of support provided by chief executive officers (CEOs). These were executive participation, a set of IT-related activities, and executive involvement, a psychological state reflecting the importance of IT for the success of the organisation. This research, using data obtained by way of mailed questionnaire sent to a sample of Australian hospitals, identified the relative strength of correlation between these two constructs of support and progressive use of information technology. It was hypothesised that, in line with the findings of Jarvenpaa and Ives (1991), stronger correlation would be found for the executive involvement construct. The statistical analysis supported these findings. Using Australian hospitals, an industry identified as having a value chain high in information intensity, allowed the findings of Jarvenpaa and Ives (1991) to be tested in a different environment. Three other contextual factors hypothesised as impacting upon the progressive use of IT were examined as well. These were the impact of the funding formula, the ownership mode (private or public), and the size of the hospital. Support was found for the ownership mode and size factors.