Lifting the cloud on the chief information officer’s decision-making processes

Date
2017-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : This thesis investigates how Chief Information Officers (CIOs) make decisions; in particular, which decision-making models they use and how it is applied in order to make their decisions. The thesis commences with a literature study on decision-making models as portrayed by the masters on the subject of decision making, and from there it takes a closer look at how basic decision-making models are established. A further literature study then focuses on the properties of the theory of sense making, which has proven to be directly connected to and infused in the decision-making models already established. Decision-making models infused with sense-making properties are then portrayed as possible models used by CIOs in their decision-making processes. By using a case study, this thesis concludes that CIOs indeed use the previously portrayed sense making-infused decision-making models, and also shows that there are contributing factors that enhance these models. The high quality of the models is then revealed by identifying these contributing factors, which concludes the holistic picture of the models.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie tesis ondersoek hoe Hoofinligtingsbemaptes (HIB’s) besluite neem en, in die besonder watter besluitnemingsmodelle op watter wyse(s) aangewend word om besluite te neem. Die tesis begin met ’n literatuuroorsig oor besluitnemingsmodelle soos voorgestel deur kenners oor die ondwerwerp besluitneming, en vandaar word gekyk na hoe basiese besluitnemingsmodelle tot stand gebring word. ’n Verdere literatuuroorsig fokus dan op die eienskappe van die singewingteorie, met inbegrip dat bewys is daar is ’n direkte verband, sowel as ’n fusie (versmeliting), tussen singewingteorie, en reeds gevestigde besluitnemingsmodelle. Besluitnemingsmodelle met geïntegreerde singewingeienskappe word daarna uitgebeeld as moontlike modelle wat deur HIB’s aangewend word in hul besluitnemingsprosesse. Deur van ’n gevallestudie gebruik te maak, kom die tesis tot die gevolgtrekking dat HIB’s inderdaad die singewingsgeïntegreerde besluitnemingsmodelle soos uitgebeeld gebruik, en ook dat daar bydraende faktore is wat hierdie modelle verbeter. Die hoë gehalte van die modelle word dan onthul deur hierdie bydraende faktore te identifiseer, ten einde die geheelbeeld van die modelle op holistiese wyse te vertoon.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Chief information officers -- South Africa, Decision making, Sense making, UCTD
Citation