Scholarly interest in IT failure and waste

The non-technical academic world has become interested in ethical issues surrounding IT failure and wasted resources. Previously, academics that focused on this set of problems generally came from an IT or project management background.

I'm thrilled the non-technical academic community is examining IT failure. Considering both public- and private-sector IT projects, the scope and magnitude of failure is huge.

On Monday, October 5, 2009, I'm giving a talk on this topic for the Center for Global Business Law & Ethics at Suffolk University's Sawyer Business School in Boston. Professor Lydia Segal, who coordinated this program, is a top authority on cutting public and private sector waste. She therefore has a natural interest in this subject:

Ethical considerations demand that we turn our attention to areas in business where mismanagement may cause serious waste. Given the importance of IT to both business and society, there is opportunity for researchers to explore the roots of failure and to formulate directions for improvement.

I've embedded the presentation below. Please let me know what you think.