International Cooperation: Building Regimes for Natural Resources and the Environment. By Oran R. Young. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1989. 248p. 10.95 paper.

This paper describes the first phase of an ongoing program of research into theory and practice of IT governance. It conceptually explores existing IT governance literature and reveals diverse definitions of IT governance, that acknowledge its structures, control frameworks and/or processes. The definitions applied within the literature and the nature and breadth of discussion demonstrate a lack of a clear shared understanding of the term IT governance. This lack of clarity has the potential to confuse and possibly impede useful research in the field and limit valid cross-study comparisons of results. Using a content analysis approach, a number of existing diverse definitions are moulded into a "definitive" definition of IT governance and its usefulness is critically examined. It is hoped that this exercise will heighten awareness of the "broad reach" of the IT governance concept to assist researchers in the development of research projects and more effectively guide practitioners in the overall assessment of IT governance.

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Attempting to Define IT Governance: Wisdom or Folly?

This paper examines the perverse effects of the new accountability regime central to the Labor government’s national reform agenda in schooling. The focus is on National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results that now act as ‘catalyst data’ and are pivotal to school and system accountability. We offer a case study, with two embedded units of analysis, in which NAPLAN has become high stakes testing for systems. The first involves the relationships between the federal government and three States (Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland) in negotiating performance targets on NAPLAN for reward payments in respect of a national agreement to improve literacy and numeracy. We show how Victoria used 2009 data as baseline, set ambitious targets and failed to meet them, while Queensland set much less ambitious targets, met them and was rewarded. New South Wales created targets that combined literacy and numeracy scores, obfuscating the evidence, and met their targets. The second focuses specif...

‘Catalyst data’: perverse systemic effects of audit and accountability in Australian schooling

An empirical examination of cobit as an internal control framework for information technology

IT governance is critical to most organisations and has an influence on the value generated by IT investments. Unfortunately, IT governance is more aspiration than reality in many organisations. This research seeks to address the dearth of empirical evidence about IT governance in practice, presenting the findings of an IT governance case study in an Australian organisation. Recommendations are provided to assist organisations to maximise potential of IT governance and insights are provided for researchers.

Exploring IT Governance in Theory and Practice in a Large Multi-National Organisation in Australia

The control objectives for information and related technology (COBIT) is a "trusted" open standard that is being used increasingly by a diverse range of organizations throughout the world. COBIT is arguably the most appropriate control framework to help an organization ensure alignment between use of information technology (IT) and its business goals, as it places emphasis on the business need that is satisfied by each control objective by J. Colbert, and P. Bowen (1996). This paper reports on the use of a simple classification of the published literature on COBIT, to highlight some of the features of that literature. The appropriate alignment between use of IT and the business goals of a organization is fundamental to efficient and effective IT governance. IT governance "...is the structure of relationships and processes to develop, direct and control IS/IT resources in order to achieve the enterprise's goals". IT governance has been recognized as a critical success factor in the achievement of corporate success by deploying information through the application of technology by N. Korac-Kakabadse and A. Kakabadse (2001). The importance of IT governance can be appreciated in light of the Gartner Group's finding that large organizations spend over 50% of their capital investment on IT by C. Koch (2002). However, research has suggested that the contribution of IT governance varies in its effectiveness. IT control frameworks are designed to promote effective IT governance. Recent pressures, including the failure of organizations such as Enron, have led to an increased focus on corporate accountability. For example, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 introduced legislation that imposed new governance requirements by G. Coppin (2003). These and other changes have resulted in a new corporate governance model with an increased emphasis on IT governance, which goes beyond the traditional focus of corporate governance on financial aspects by R. Roussey (2003).

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COBIT and its utilization: a framework from the literature

An Introduction to Economics with Emphasis on Innovation

A typical image of the making and administration of policy suggests that it takes place on an incremental basis, involving public servants, their ministers and, to a more limited extent, a variety of interest groups. Yet, much policy making is based on similar policy developed in other jurisdictions and in the major international organizations such as the WTO and the OECD. In other words, significant aspects of nationally developed policies are copied from elsewhere in what is described as a process of policy transfer and learning. Hence, studies of policy transfer have pointed to a distinct limitation in most existing theoretical and empirical explanations as to how policy is made and implemented through their neglect of the role of policy transfer and learning. Moreover, policy transfer is not only a concern of academics, but a growing concern for governments. The latter are concerned to improve the performance of their policy and several have placed a greater, more systematic focus on policy transfer as a means to increasing performance. This book presents a variety of cases from differing national and international contexts that enable a valuable, comparative analysis that is absent from most literature currently available and that suggest a number of exciting research directions with implications for policy making, transference and implementation in the future.

Pgh Carroll

Papers

COBIT and its utilization: a framework from the literature

An Introduction to Economics with Emphasis on Innovation

Policy Transfer and Learning in Public Policy and Management

Globalisation, Policy Transfer and Policy Research Institutes

Historical trends in policy transfer in Australia