Strategic Management in Business Information Technology: A Case Study

Abstract

The Information Technology (IT) sector is regarded as strategic for national economy. In Brazil, this sector is formed mostly of micro and small businesses. This article aims at understanding how does the strategic management process occurs in a small IT company, according to the schools of strategy and the strategy-as-practice approach. The method applied was a single case study of a small IT company, located in Rio Grande do Sul. The analyzed data revealed that the company adopts an informal strategic management centered on its directors, which may be related to the entrepreneurial school of strategy. However, data also indicate the presence of features of other schools of strategy along the company trajectory. We analyzed the strategy as social practice at the strategic level and also at the tactical level of the organization, through the guidance of managers, their interactions with customers and suppliers, their decision-making processes, among other practices related to everyday life. The results of the article shed light on the process of strategic management in micro and small IT companies, generating insights that can be useful for managers of similar companies.