Organizational Mission Statements: A Postmodernist Perspective on the Management of an IS/IT Function

Abstract

The mission statement embodies certain beliefs about the management culture of the organization, which can be examined and placed within underlying theoretical contexts. This chapter examines postmodernism in this respect, which, in addition to forming a critique of modernist approaches, posits alternative views about philosophy, organization and subsequently IS/IT management theory. The study applies an ethnographic case research methodology where data was collected from 16 interviewees employed within a multi-national financial services group. In this way, the organizational mission statement was used as a vehicle for analyzing the contribution of postmodern approaches to the management of the IS/IT function. The influential Ashridge Model was adopted to map the findings of the study which suggest three propositions for postmodernism in providing: (i) cultural context, (ii) a textual or ‘deconstructive’ analysis and (iii) an ethnographic empathy for further IS/IT research. Finally, it is argued that the modernist/postmodernist dialectic is ultimately a productive discussion, which can positively contribute towards research in terms of analytical techniques and interpretative strategies.