| Abstract: | Information management seems to be the “in” subject of the decade. However, it remains an elusive target. It is suggested that the problem lies in the assumption that we are dealing with information management, as of it were solely concerned with the supply of information. We argue that it would be more fruitful to think in terms of managing information technology, in view of its perceived increasing strategic interest to organizations. The subject is treated from both an historical and organizational perspective.For the time being, the ideal and reality still seem to be poles apart. On the one hand, we find that, despite a serious lack of sound insight, information technology has already been absorbed by most organizations; on the other hand, it is clear that for today's strategy, simple extrapolation does not suffice. We are learning how to bridge the gap in understanding, so that information technology may be actively exploited to strengthen whatever other activities an organization seems to find important for its competitive advantage. |
