Impact of IS/IT Investments on Firm Performance: A Stakeholder Approach

Resumo/Abstract: This research project addresses a central question in the IS business value field: Does IS/IT investments impact positively on firm financial performance?

IS/IT investments are seen has having an enormous potential impact on the competitive position of the firm, on its performance, and demand an active and motivated participation of several stakeholder groups.

Actual research conducted in the Information Systems field, relating IS/IT investments with firm performance use transactions costs economics and resource-based view of the firm to try to explain and understand that relationship. However, it lacks to stress the importance of stakeholder management, as a moderator variable in that relationship.

To achieve the expected impact from an IS/IT investment, it is argued that firms need a strong commitment from several stakeholder groups, which lead us to the need of a “stakeholder orientation”.

When firm financial performance is measured by returns on assets (ROA), returns on investments (ROI) and returns on sales (ROS), the results show that “stakeholder orientation” impact positively in the relation between IS/IT and firm performance, using a sample of Portuguese large companies for the years of 2003 and 2004.

Keywords: IS/IT Investments; Impacts; Financial Performance; Stakeholder Orientation.

Outros seminários / Other seminars: Programa completo / Full programme.