8th IDIA Conference Hotels
IDIA2014 Conference
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
3-4 November 2014
Analysis of ICT Governance Initiatives as a Mechanism to Enhance Corporate Governance, with particular reference to Nelson Mandela
Chris Adendorff
Business School
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Brink Botha
Department of Construction Management
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Sindiswa Tolom
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Gillian Adendorff
Department of Construction Management
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Abstract
Developing countries such as South Africa have tremendous potential for rapid and sustainable economic and social development by leveraging the benefits and advantages of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and applying it appropriately within the local government sector. In this study, an analysis was made of ICT governance initiatives, as a mechnism to enhance corporate governance, with particular reference to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) in the Eastern Cape. While the governance developments have primarliy been driven by the need for transparency regarding enteprise risks and the protection of sharholder value, the pervasive use of technology has created a critical dependency on ICT that calls for a specific focus on ICT governance. ICT governance is part of corporate governance, which is the responsibility of the organisation’s top executive, to ensure that its information technology supports the goals and objectives of the organisation, through a variety of structural mechanisms, processes and mechanisms for communication.The corporate governance of ICT involves evaluating and directing the plans for the use of ICT to support the Institution and monitoring these. It includes the strategy and policies for using ICT within the institution. These executive authority and executive management are accountable and responsible for ensuring that the governance of ICT is implemented in the instittion in line with this framework.
Key words
Corporate governance; development; Information and Communication Technology.