Furthermore, distribution of IT management functions should be actionable within a policy context. The author uses the term contingency theory generically to focus on the propositions shared by a family of related theories rather than the analytic distinctions that separate them. Contingency theory identifies many contextual factors that may influence organizational IT structure and use. Absorptive capacity theory is based on a research stream that attempts to employ the concepts of cognitive psychology in organizational settings. Each theoretical perspective provides a partial view of factors that influence organizational IT adoption and use.
Contingency theories identify many factors but provide little explanatory power.
Absorptive capacity theory probes more deeply into an organization's technology adoption processes but is weak on identifying the conditions that contribute to or hinder the development of an organization's absorptive capacity. A model that successfully combines these two perspectives should provide a richer and more complete understanding of the factors and processes influencing IT adoption and use, and should serve as a basis for conceptualizing how to improve federal IT management policies. Their model provided a conceptual framework for categorizing contingency factors. Federal IT management policy drivers are specifically included to ensure that their influence on the distribution of IT management functions be assessed. IT management knowledge and IT management process effectiveness components are viewed as factors that moderate the influence of the overall organizational environment on the extent and the effectiveness of the agency's IT use.