Managing Globally with Information Technology

In order to investigate the application of efficiency models to Information Technology area of Brazilian companies, the adopted methodological approach was multiple cases (Yin, 1991; Claver et al., 2000). The cases selection criteria was the following: the role that IT plays in the company; IT management model and organizational structure; local dispersion; and IT application complexity. Based on these criteria, three cases were selected: a financial company, a telecommunication and a building materials company. Interviews were performed with executives from the IT area and others from different hierarchical levels and areas. The characteristics of the cases analyzed are as follows:

• Case "A" is a Brazilian manufacturing company that belongs to the agribusiness and building materials industries; in 2000 it had revenue of US$ 400 millions and hired 6,000 employees, but our focus was restricted to a business unit hereafter called AN1; that achieved 60% of company total revenue.

• Case "B" is a Brazilian multiple bank with revenue of US$4,500 millions and 17,000 employees in 2000.

• Case "C" is a global manufacturing company that belongs to the electronics industry which, in 2000, achieved revenue of US$2,000 million from its Latin American branch with 2,700 employees.