Developing an understanding of IT governance and its relationship with corporate governance

IT governance, or the governance of information and technology, has become an issue of importance for senior managers, those charged with undertaking corporate governance, and academics. Within the academic literature, its conception has changed from the recognition of appropriate decision-making patterns for the acquisition, management and use of information and technology, to large-scale enterprise governance systems. As the research and literature responded to changing needs and interpretations, it has done so without a developed theory or ontology to understand the form, nature and scope of IT governance. Consequently, IT governance has been referred to as an “ephemeral and messy phenomenon” (Peterson 2004, p.8).