Large, complex organizations regularly struggle with the pros and cons on each side of the centralization/ decentralization argument — and then they reorganize, usually to the opposite extreme. If you are looking at decentralization, the argument is that business unit executives need IT resources under their direct control to better achieve their business goals. Under this approach, the organization will typically maintain a small central IT group with limited responsibility, perhaps related to architecture and standards. If looking to centralize control, the argument is that this is the only way to ensure economic efficiency, and it may be absolute. These arguments have merit, but not absolutely, in either case. Both extremes create an environment for …

Read more