In page after page, Baschab lists disasters linked to faulty IT systems. "Satisfaction stagnates, or even diminishes," based on high expectations being dashed by troublesome, malfunctioning IT investments, Baschab insists on page 19. The quandary for corporations is that while "…they must invest in information technology" to keep up with competitors, the failure of IT departments to create "cost-effective, satisfactory results" have produced "misery on a massive scale" (Baschab, 20).
On Carr's blog (NicholasCarr.com) he presents a long list of varied responses and editorial critiques to his book. Some of that narrative amounts to self-congratulatory themes, and some is just using quotes from journalists, managers and others in the technology field. For example, in the Journal of Business Strategy two professors from the Weatherhead Business School find his argument "spurious"; they claim it's not the technology that is to blame, it is "the way you use it" (Carr, 2005). Another critic (John Soat), reviewing two books in Information Week suggests that while Carr "has a compelling argument" in his book, in the other book, written by Microsoft's VP Robert McDowell, the author claims Carr is "dangerously short-sighted." Tan Ee Sze, editor of Computerworld Singapore, finds Carr's "…logic persuasive" and his observations "valid" albeit he quibbles over Carr's "semantics."
Conclusion -- Justifying an IT Investment to the CEO
It is easy to find fault with title of Carr's book because IT really, truly, absolutely does matter to companies, and the technological revolution driving global markets is far from over. This paper believes that Carr chose that title just to draw attention to his arguments, which is coy. Further, Carr's out-of-date argument that because every corporation has IT, it becomes...
It's how you use IT, not how much it costs or who else has it.
Meanwhile, when making a pitch to a CEO regarding a possible investment of IT the smart thing to do is embrace Carr's most relevant positions, and warn the CEO that throwing money at an IT system just to keep up with competitors is a potentially disastrous mistake. The CEO should know that Bill Gates -- among the most highly-respected technology leaders in the world -- responded to Carr's assertion that IT is becoming "a commodity" by saying, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever read." What needs to happen prior to the CEO making an IT investment is a careful review of the managers that will be working with the IT department. As Baschab wrote, many non-technical managers have been hired to work in IT departments -- and have not received proper technical training -- leading to failure and waste. Also, on the other hand, many IT managers "lack the business training and experience" to bring the profit and loss "mindset" to the IT functions (Baschab). Hence, my belief is that IT does really matter and is pivotal to our success, but first there must be a thorough examination of: the company's needs and how those needs match up with available information technology; the skills of the managers that will be in leadership positions; and the big picture (to wit, where will our company be in 5, 10, or 15 years, and how does investing in IT dovetail with those projections?).
Works Cited
Baschab, John, and Piot, Jon. (2007). The Executive's Guide to Information Technology.
Indianapolis, IN: John Wiley and Sons.
Carr, Nicholas G. (2003). Why IT Doesn't Matter Anymore. Harvard Business Review, 81(5),
1-4.
Carr, Nicholas. (2005). Nicholas Carr (Blog).…
