Progressing in the Theoretical Discussion About it Portfolio Management and its Dimensions.

Abstract

The scope of this essay is to establish theoretical relations between different theories and theoretical fields and the dimensions of IT Portfolio Management (ITPM). The origins of ITPM are based on the studies concerning modern portfolio theory, that consider investment allocation in four dimensions, in which the following theoretical relations are analyzed. The infrastructure was related to institutional theory, due to the similarity of today's organizations, since they have the same IT infrastructure. The transactional one was related to the theory of production, because it provides insights for the understanding of the relations between inputs (IT investments) and outputs enabled by these investments. The informational one was related to the theoretical field of information quality (IQ), in which the benefits of this dimension were analyzed in the light of IQ dimensions. Finally, the strategic dimension was related to a resource-based view (RBV), due to the relation between this dimension and aspects regarding competitiveness. Even though the proposals presented in this paper should not be considered an absolute truth, they may lead to advances in the understanding of the subject and to new ways to reinterpret and develop the theme.