CRITICAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE DEPLOYMENT OF IT PROJECTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN ORGANISATIONS

Purpose –IT projects are often viewed as tools that can be used to improve business processes and as well as to maximize profits in the organisation. However the deployment of IT projects is not an easy task. It can bring radical changes to the organization; these may include changes to processes, procedures, roles and responsibilities, organisational structure, equipment, facilities and new skills to learn. Many studies have been conducted examining factors affecting IT projects, yet the challenge and the failure rate of IT project remain high. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of IT projects in the organisations and to gain a better understanding of the root cause of IT project failure.

Design/methodology/approach - multiple-case study methodology was applied in this study, where two organisations were used as cases. The Duality of Structure from the perspective of Structuration Theory was used as the underpinning theoretical framework to aid data analysis. Data source and methodological triangulation were used to verify the validity of data.

Findings – The study findings reveals how IT projects are executed and the importance of IT projects in the organisations. Furthermore, recommendations are made with regards to the root cause of IT project failure.