Information systems strategy as practice: Micro strategy and strategizing for IS

The ‘‘rigor versus relevance’’ debate and the questioning of the practical relevance of much contemporary research are recurring themes not just in the field of Information Systems (IS) (Straub and Ang, 2011; Klein and Rowe, 2008; Roseman and Vessey, 2008) but in the wider field of management (c.f. Kieser and Leiner, 2009; Knights and Scarbrough, 2010; Mohrman et al., 2001; Nicolai and Seidl, 2010; Moisander and Stenfors, 2009; Shrivastava, 1987). In IS in particular, this has led to some scholars questioning the practical value of much of the published research (cf. Benbasat and Zmud, 1999; Desouza et al., 2006; Keen, 1991; Lyytinen, 1999; Senn, 1998). A central premise of the arguments these protagonists present is that much research draws on methods that are inappropriate to the applied nature of the discipline (Breu and Peppard, 2003; Galliers and Land, 1987, 1988). The foundation of this argument reflects the social sciences ‘practice turn’ that sees all knowledge as existing within the fields of practice (Schatzki et al., 2001). In philosophy, the turn to pragmatism similarly values knowledge through practitioners’ eyes and places the practitioner at the center of theory development (Putnam, 1995; Rorty, 1998). This movement toward practical relevance prefers concrete micro actions rather than abstract macro analysis. People and knowledge that make a difference in practice are thus, or at least should be, central to research endeavours. In line with these arguments, the Strategic Management field has seen the emergence of a body of research that focuses on strategizing or the ‘doing of strategy’ (Jarzabkowski, 2004; Jarzabkowski and Spee, 2009; Jarzabkowski et al., 2007; Johnson et al., 2003a,b, 2007; Whittington, 1996, 2002a,b, 2006). Often referred to as the ‘‘Strategy as Practice’’ school, it emphasizes the actual day-to-day activities, contexts, processes and content that relate to strategic outcomes. This move towards a more micro perspective is in response to growing frustrations with contemporary strategy literature regarding its relevance to practitioners. Part of the problem is that there has been a dominant macro focus in strategic management research that is remote from practice, particularly the normative models resulting from it. Research in the Strategy as Practice genre emphasizes how people engage in the ‘real work’ of developing a strategy and strategizing. In addressing strategy as practice, the focus of research is on strategy praxis, strategy practitioners and strategy practices (e.g., Jarzabkowski et al., 2007; Whittington, 2002a) – the work, workers and tools of strategy in other words. In line with this movement, this Special Issue of The Journal of Strategic Information Systems explores information systems strategy and strategizing from a practice perspective. Reflecting the arguments for research relevance, the call for papers echoed Lee’s (2010: 346) recent comment that ‘‘the starting point of IS research need not be the existing theory (primarily epistêmê) located in the IS discipline’s own (or any other) research literature; rather, the starting point could be the technê