Linking IS-User Partnerships to IS Performance: A Socio-Cognitive Perspective

The notion that effective relationships between groups improve coordination, cooperation and consequently performance has considerable appeal in a broad range of contexts. In particular, partnerships are viewed as critical organizational mechanisms enabling information systems groups and their clients within organizations to utilize existing information technology investments already in place and to tap the potential offered by information technologies. This paper proposes a theoretical model drawing from socio-cognitive theory, highlighting a convergence in perspectives on key issues between the groups as the mechanism underlying partnerships. Data from a survey of 671 managers on both sides of IS-User relationships in multiple firms provides support for the model and the hypothesized relationship between convergence in perspectives and the performance of IS groups. In particular, the results suggest that a convergent assessment of the perspectives of IS groups by Users significantly enhances the performance of IS groups. This paper is among the first efforts in the IS literature to use dyadic data provided by both IS and User groups to understand IS-User relationships.