Outsiders: an exploratory history of IS in corporations

Abstract

This paper is an exploratory study that provides a brief history of information systems (IS) in corporations that are not part of the Information Technology sector, such as retailers, banks, government agencies and so on. It looks at the development of the IS function and the changing roles of IS practitioners in such organisations over the past 60 years, and assesses how they perceived themselves and were perceived by their peers, by business colleagues and by others. It uses the testimony of successful IS practitioners to provide a grounded perspective on the history of the IS worker over this time. The research identifies a trajectory of a gradual diminishment in the role and status of the IS worker in the corporation over the lifetime of the discipline. It observes that the IS worker has experienced changed fortunes: from a position of influence at the outset, leading to a peak of status and reward in the years up to the millennium; and to the present day where the occupation has a much lower profile. It ascribes this to the increasing commoditisation of IS, manifested by phenomena such as end-user computing, outsourcing and cloud computing. The paper is of relevance to academics who are interested in IS in the corporate organisation; to business professionals, who are sometimes bewildered by their IS colleagues; and to those who work in IS. The research is presented as an interpretative study and is intended to help future researchers frame questions and design research projects. It also aims to inform and witness, and provide a perspective on a currently neglected part of the business world.

Appendices

Appendix A

Summary of participants in the research

Table A1

Table A1 Summary of respondent backgrounds

Appendix B

Topic sheet for interviews

Context of research

This research is about the IS profession (and the IS professional) in the corporate environment – that is, not in high-tech firms but in other industries – in banks, in government departments, in pharmaceutical firms, in retail companies – in short, in the IS (or IT) departments of most companies. At the time of writing, this comprises up to one million people in Britain alone.¹

The starting point for the research is an assumption that – with some notable exceptions – the history of the IS profession in such organisations is poorly documented. There is extensive literature on the history of computing – in museums, libraries, corporate archives and so on – but this tends to emphasise specific artefacts (such as the hardware and software), phenomena (such as the Internet) or industry trends (such as outsourcing). Further, the individuals who are recognised as leaders in IS are those who have built machines (like Eckert and Mauchly); software companies (like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs); innovative software (like Linus Torvalds); or shaped the industry (like Tim Berners-Lee). There appear to be few famous or renowned corporate CIOs or IT Directors.

This is despite the fact that IS plays an essential role in modern business: it provides basic services without which most firms could not operate and, in some instances, creates innovative and intelligent solutions that allow companies to thrive and profit. Moreover, it is pervasive in everyday life and of direct relevance to the individual, for example in providing continuous operation of life-saving systems in hospitals.

Nature of interview

As well as identifying historical sources in the literature where they can be found, the research seeks to incorporate the views of IS professionals who have experience of working in corporate IS roles. I therefore would like to ask you about your career as an IS professional, and to collate your experiences of corporate IS, particularly in the early days when the profession was taking shape. I would also like to gather your views on the IS profession generally.

The discussion will cover your background and education, and will be concerned mostly with your history as an IS corporate professional. Accordingly, I will solicit your views on a variety of related topics and ask some of the specific questions listed overleaf (not all questions may be relevant to you).

The interview will take 1–2 h.

Specific questions

Your view of your profession

• Why did you choose IS as a profession?

• What does IS mean to you? How do you describe to others what you do?

• What are your views on your profession?

• How do you view IS professional training? Are the right skills available in university? Elsewhere?

• What are your views on where IS fits in the modern corporation?

• How are/were you perceived by your business colleagues (i.e., those outside the corporate IS department?)

Your experience as a corporate IS professional

• How was the IS corporate function organised when you stated in IS? Size/structure/skills/scope? How has it changed over time?

• What technologies did you use in the early days? Methodologies? How did these change over time? What were the most significant events/innovations for you and your IS department in the course of your professional career?

• How did your organisation accommodate landmark IS events like the relation database; introduction of the PC; Y2K; outsourcing; the Internet; structured programming?

• What was the status of the IS department and the IS professional in your organisation? How has this changed over time?

• How do you see the IS corporate entity changing in the face of trends such as Cloud computing; Web 2.0; Offshoring?

General questions

• Who are the role models in your profession? Who would you describe as the achievers in corporate IS?

• What do you regard as successes in corporate IS? Failures?

• What in your opinion are the main challenges facing any corporate IS entity? Has this changed over the course of your career?

• How do you think IS as a business function is perceived by those who work outside the corporate IS entities?

Supplemental questions (mailed to respondents in September 2012)

• In the mid-1990s, there was a good deal of discussion in academic circles around whether computers actually were driving productivity in business. Do you recall productivity being an issue in the business world? Were you aware of this productivity debate?

• In general in the course of your career, have you experienced much crossover or interaction between the business and academic world in IT?

• Would you regard your first loyalty being towards your profession or towards your employer? In other words, have you tended to view yourself as an IT professional first and foremost or a (say) AIB employee first and foremost?

• Were/are you familiar with any of the professional bodies associated with computing? Have you heard of IFIP (http://www.ifip.org/) or been involved in any of its activities/technical committees?