ICIS'95
Panel - BEYOND THE JUNGLE
How can the various schools of thought
in strategic information systems contribute to
ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY
in LOW-COMPETITIVE CONTEXTS?
SOME EXAMPLES
This
document presents some examples of organisations which are not subject to the
full power of market forces. The purpose of the examples is to provide a
common body of material on which panellists and other participants can focus
their analysis.
You are encouraged to
make
a contribution to this discussion.
* Government Agencies
Some organisations within the public sector are quasi-businesses, intended to
operate profitably, often by servicing the needs of a more or less captive
market, and, where practicable, to carve out additional market share. These
agencies operate within constraints, however, such as statutory policy
objectives of ensuring a minimal level of service is available in the
particular market sector, or the protection of rural consumers through
location-independent tariffs.
Many public sector agencies, however, are responsible for providing services
and in particular for providing channels for transfer payments. Some are
responsible for the formation of government policy. Others are charged with
the regulation of particular classes of organisation, individual, or behaviour.
* Religions, Denominations, Churches
These organisations exist to service the spiritual need felt by large numbers
of people. Competition has always existed, in such forms as evangelism, but
the degree to which such organisations compete varies widely. In addition,
some functions they perform are only very indirectly related to the gaining of
new adherents.
* Charities and Voluntary Service Organisations
These organisations exist essentially to perform services for people in need.
All compete for limited contributions from the public. Some are broad-based,
and in some sense compete with others for recognition by governments and access
to particular classes of need, such as areas affected by natural disaster and
war-zones. Others are narrowly focussed, and no competitors exist on the
demand end.
* Political Parties
The purpose of a party is to influence the policies of government, most
directly by ensuring the election of representatives sympathetic to the
interests of the party's members, but also indirectly, by communicating the
members' interests. Long-lived parties generally have a broadly based policy
platform, often associated with an ideology, but focussed, 'single-issue' also
enjoy success. Parties may splinter (can someone point me to a web-version of
'The Life of Brian'?). Parties may also merge. Competition not only exists,
but is the very heart of the matter; but the object is not sales and monetary
profit.
* Professional Associations
Individuals who practise a particular trade or profession form organisations to
further their interests. There are 'turf wars'; for example, software
engineers may join, in the United States, the ACM or IEEE, or in Australia the
ACS or the IEAust. But these are primarily at the margins, with the majority
of members quite clear as to their allegiance (e.g. I'm an unequivocal ACM and
ACS member). Such associations provide services to members, maintain standards
(i.e. protect the image of the majority against the ravages of the minority of
poor or unethical performers), and lbby governments for legislation and policy
which services the needs of the members, and/or what they perceive to be the
needs of society more generally.
* Industry Associations
Naive economic theory suggests that companies should perform relatively
independently from one another, and hence a wide variety of practices are
outlawed. This is variously referred to as anti-trust, ant-monopoly and trade
practices regulation. There remain many areas, however, in which the law
permits, and governments actively encourage, companies to form groups and act
in unison. Standards-setting is one example, but governments also appreciate
coherence in lobbying efforts from particular sectors. In many countries,
especially powerful ones like Japan and the U.S.A., these associations are
highly influential, because of their economic and hence political 'clout', in
terms of exports, employment, donations to political parties, ability to
deliver votes on the floor of the house, etc.
* Consumer Associations, Interest Groups, 'Lobby' Groups
Individuals band together to achieve common ends, in such groups as consumers'
associations, interest groups, and Parents & Teachers / Parents &
Citizens assocations, sporting clubs, etc. These are in several senses
competitive, e.g. for the time and funds of the relevant public, and against
groups with the opposite interests. In many cases, however, the dominant
culture is one of community service.
* Government Business Enterprises
In most countries, corporations owned by governments dominate particular
industry sectors, such as telecomunications, postal services and railways.
There are also many countries where key industries such as oil and steel are
also government-controlled. These often have a primarily service role within
their own economy, although they may compete against substitute products and
services. Many are subject to constraints of a policy nature.
* Legislated Monopolies
'Natural monopolies' either exist or are believed to exist in many markets.
Some countries permit companies to operate as sole suppliers, usually
subjecting them to special forms of regulation and/or profit-sharing. These
are often large revenue-generators and profit-earners, and hence powerhouses
for government policies.
* Business Partnerships ?
* Business Alliances ?
* Working Arrangements Between Governments and Industry Sectors ?
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Last Amended: 29 October 1995
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