Effects Of Environmental Uncertainty On Perception Of Information Systems Issues

Abstract

The current study reports the results of a survey of CEOs and senior information systems managers to examine the relationship between perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) and IS issues that have appeared repeatedly in MIS Quarterly. Senior Information Systems managers in high-PEU firms ranked a number of issues differently than those in low-PEU firms. Additionally, information systems issues overall are more important on average in high-PEU firms than in low-PEU firms. Also, high PEU results in some issues concerning external information to be deemed more important. A comparison of factor analyses for the two groups indicates firms reporting high levels of PEU view external IS issues differently than those firms with low levels of PEU; external IS issues load on a separate construct for high-PEU firms. That construct is not found in low-PEU firms.