IT Governance and Process Maturity: A Multinational Field Study

This study investigates the relationship between key information technology (IT) governance characteristics and IT process maturity, as a measure of IT capability, in a multinational field study of 51 organizations. The study employs the IT processes defined within the COBIT framework as a model of the major processes that comprise IT capability. COBIT framework includes a of set maturity models based on the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) from the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). Data are collected on all aspects of IT governance at each organization as well as the level of process maturity for each process in COBIT. Maturity modeling in COBIT includes six attributes of process maturity. The state of alignment between the IT and non-IT functions at each organization and the level of national development are strongly associated with process maturity. These findings apply whether considering the overall level of process maturity or the level by domain or attribute.