Dax D. Jacobson

Business Process Governance

Good business process governance is necessary for the success of business processes, which in turn are essential for business success. The term business process governance refers to the direction, coordination, and control of individuals, groups, or organizations that are at least to some extent autonomous: that is, not directly subject to the same hierarchical authority. Business process governance comprises a variety of mechanisms that may be impersonal (e.g., laws or rules) or personal (i.e., administered by individuals who may or may not have formally designated responsibility or accountability for governance). All governance mechanisms have pros and cons; some mechanisms are more effective (and more costly) than others. The challenge is to design a cost-effective governance structure, which usually consists of several mechanisms working in combination. This chapter describes various governance mechanisms, identifies their advantages and disadvantages, and provides examples that reveal how governance mechanisms contribute to business process success.

The formation of inter-organizational information sharing networks in public safety: Cartographic insights on rational choice and institutional explanations

In this article we offer visual depictions and analysis of contextual factors relative to the presence of public safety networks (PSNs) in the United States (US). A PSN combines shared technological infrastructures for supporting information sharing, computing interoperability and interagency interactions involving policing, criminal justice, and emergency response. The broad research objective is to explain the formation of PSNs based upon factors derived from rational choice and institutional theories. To do so we develop maps to represent our data analysis. This analysis suggests that our approach is promising for generating insights about PSNs and, by extension, about other types of inter-organizational collaborations focusing on using information and communication technologies to enable information-sharing.

Revisiting IT Governance in the Light of Institutional Theory

IT governance research has been largely normative and has provided a great deal of useful insight into what effective IT governance should be. What has received less attention is an understanding of what really happens as organizations struggle to achieve effective IT governance. We argue that the time has come to supplement the important research on what IT governance should be with research on how IT governance is actually accomplished. Before moving forward we take a step back. We trace the evolution of IT governance research and the shared theoretical base. We then suggest institutional theory as a promising alternative for answering three questions yet to be fully addressed in the literature: (1) How is IT governance actually done?; (2) What are the links between IT governance and performance?; and (3) How does IT governance change over time?

Design observations for interagency collaboration

Abstract We present 14 design observations for public safety networks (PSNs) and describe how they may apply more broadly to a wider range of inter-organizational systems within the public sector. A PSN is an interagency collaboration focused on developing and using information systems in support of information sharing and functional interoperability among public safety organizations engaged in law enforcement, criminal justice, and emergency response. We base our design observations upon an analysis of an extensive survey of 80 PSNs plus 6 in-depth case studies. The design observations identify commonalities that can guide agencies participating in interagency collaborations in addressing the interlocking issues they face. Our goal in presenting this set of design observations is to: (1) encourage improved PSN systems design and (2) draw attention to the importance of jointly addressing governance and technological considerations when designing PSNs.

The Governance of Business Processes

Good business process governance is necessary for the success of business processes, which in turn are essential for business success. The term business process governance refers to the direction, coordination, and control of individuals, groups, or organizations that are at least to some extent autonomous, meaning that hierarchical authority alone is not sufficient to ensure effective performance. Business process governance, whether within or across organizational entities comprises a variety of mechanisms, including organizational structures (roles and units for performing and coordinating process activities), allocations of decision making authority, and procedures (e.g., review and approval processes). Governance mechanisms may be formal (i.e., formalized in writing or in law) or informal (e.g., not mandated). All governance mechanisms have pros and cons; some mechanisms are more effective (but also more costly) than others. The challenge is to design a cost-effective governance regime, which usually consists of designing several less costly mechanisms to work in combination. This chapter describes various governance mechanisms, identifies their advantages and disadvantages, and provides examples that show how governance mechanisms can contribute to improved business process performance.

Organizational and Institutional Arrangements for E-Government: A Preliminary Report on Contemporary IT Management Approaches in US State Governments

The success of e-government is believed to depend in part on the organizational and institutional arrangements that governments enact for the management of their IT resources. This paper develops the conceptualization of IT management arrangements by considering possible interactions between two dimensions-1) the organization of IT activities and 2) control over decisions about IT activities (also known as governance)-for each of two categories of IT activities-1) IT projects (such as website development) and 2) IT services (such as the operation of networks). In addition, the paper provides preliminary empirical evidence obtained from applying this expanded conceptualization in the context of American state governments. Many states appear to employ centralization of IT activities to offset decentralization of IT control and vice versa. Consequently, neither dimension alone provides a good characterization of governmental IT management arrangements. These findings have the potential to enhance our understanding of the barriers to, and enablers of e-government success.

Design observations regarding public safety networks

Through this paper we advance an initial set of 12 observations that will form the basis for developing design principles for public safety networks (PSN), and more broadly for inter-organizational systems within the public sector. A public safety network is an interagency collaboration focused on the development and use of information and communication technologies to support the information sharing and functional interoperability needs of public safety organizations engaged in law enforcement, criminal justice, and emergency response. Our goal in presenting this initial set of PSN design observations is to: (1) encourage improved PSN systems design through the development of design principles and (2) increase the attention paid, when designing and developing these forms of information systems, to the co-design of structures of governance and operation that PSN entail.