Green IT Maturity: developing a framework based on practices and actions (original) (raw)
Related papers
The realization that legacy information technology (IT) systems have environmental footprint has elevated the sustainability of IT (Green IT) as a significant IT management issue. However, there is a lack of empirical research to explain Green IT capabilities of organizations and the maturity of those capabilities. This article reports a Green IT Readiness framework to capture the input, transformational and output capabilities that organizations need to nurture in sustainable management of IT. It identifies five components of G-readiness and provides an exploratory framework and a research-ready instrument. The instrument is validated based on data collected from a crosssectional and cross-country survey of IT managers.
2011
The realization that legacy information technology (IT) systems have environmental footprint has elevated the sustainability of IT (Green IT) as a significant IT management issue. However, there is a lack of empirical research to explain Green IT capabilities of organizations and the maturity of those capabilities. This article reports a Green IT Readiness framework to capture the input, transformational and output capabilities that organizations need to nurture in sustainable management of IT. It identifies five components of G-readiness and provides an exploratory framework and a research-ready instrument. The instrument is validated based on data collected from a cross- sectional and cross-country survey of IT managers.
A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK TO DEVELOP GREEN IT - GOING BEYOND THE IDEA OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
This paper presents a conceptual framework aiming to better research, understand and develop Green IT within organizations. Based on a literature review on Green IT, regarding the concepts of responsibility and sustainability, we propose ann initial framework with five dimensions: ethical, technological, economical, social and environmental. These dimensions compose Green IT strategies and practices. Additionally, the framework considers that environmental changing requirements, strategic requirements and dynamic capabilities are the forces which move organizations toward green practices and foster innovation. This conceptual framework is part of a research project which has been developed in this topic and aims to contribute to the theory in the field, having as initial goal to identify the constructs associated with Green IT. Additionally, it will be presented also the research method which is being applied to conduct the project steps and, in the future, verify in the field whether the constructs proposed correspond to the reality in the organizations.
A Comparative Analysis of Green ICT Maturity Models
2018
Maturity models have become a common tool for organisations to assess their capabilities in a variety of domains. However, for fields that have not yet been researched thoroughly, it can be difficult to create and evolve a maturity model that features all the important aspects in that field. It takes time and many iterative improvements for a maturity model to come of age. This is the case for Green ICT maturity models, whose aim is typically to either provide insight on the important aspects an organisation or a researcher should take into account when trying to improve the social or environmental impact of ICT, or to assist in the auditing of such aspects. In fact, when we were commissioned a comprehensive ICT-sustainability auditing for Utrecht University, we not only faced the need of selecting a Green ICT maturity model, but also to ensure that it covered as many organisational aspects as possible, extending the model if needed. This paper reports on the comparison we carried o...
Green IT Readiness: A Framework and Preliminary Proof of Concept
2009
Businesses are under increasing pressure from customers, competitors, regulators and community groups to implement sustainable business practices. Balancing economic and environmental performance to be green and competitive is therefore a key strategic issue. The information technology (IT) sector is one of the pioneer sectors which started working on the sustainable development model. However, it is only lately that researchers and organisations have begun to consider the role of IT, not only in contributing to a businesses environmental footprint but also in tackling climate change problems. Usually coined as, "Green Information Technology", the role of IT in causing and resolving ecological sustainability, in maintaining low cost IT shops, in building green reputation capital and in supporting corporate green strategies has hardly been researched. This paper identifies five main areas of Green IT capability and describes the main pillars of a G-readiness framework to help organisations evaluate their maturity for Green IT. The utility of the framework is demonstrated through a desk-based research case study of four organisations. The paper argues that just as ereadiness has been, and continues to be, a critical capability in the digital economy, Greadiness is an equally critical capability in the low carbon digital economy. Without a clear understanding of G-readiness, organisations would approach Green IT initiatives on an ad hoc and somewhat reactive basis, which is undesirable.
An Exploratory Study on Environmental Sustainability and IT Use
The present paper explored the relationship between environmental sustainability and the use of IT. Based on interviews with seven “Green IT” experts and evangelists, we constructed a questionnaire for CIOs on this important issue. After collecting interview data from CIOs in ten organizations, we found that organizations are at different levels of maturity regarding environmental sustainability and IT use. The maturity levels ranged from an awareness of the sustainability issue to implementation of specific practices to promote environmental sustainability through IT use.
Sustainable IT Practices, 2022
This article examines sustainable IT practices, focusing on how IT companies can adopt green strategies to minimize their carbon footprints and enhance environmental sustainability. It discusses the significance of understanding carbon footprints within the IT sector and outlines practical green IT initiatives, such as improving energy efficiency in data centers, leveraging cloud computing, and integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) into business models. The article also addresses the regulatory frameworks guiding sustainable practices and the challenges companies face in implementation. Future trends, including innovations in technology and the evolving role of IT in achieving global sustainability goals, are highlighted. Overall, this piece advocates for a committed approach to sustainability in the IT industry, emphasizing its importance for both environmental stewardship and long-term business success.
A SPICE-Based Maturity Model for the Governance and Management of Green IT
Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2017
Organizations around the world are increasingly concerned about the environment, adopting sustainable practices in their business processes. In the field of Information Technologies (IT) several Green IT practices have been proposed, but in isolation, so a framework is needed if the Green IT is to be implemented and improved in an efficient and integrated way. In this paper, we propose a maturity model (based on SPICE) to help organizations to implement the governance and management of Green IT gradually, as well as to improve their maturity level in this area. The validation of this proposal by experts and a case study seems to indicate that the proposal can be useful for implementing and improving the Green IT processes in organizations.
Green ICT Adoption Using a Maturity Model
Sustainability
The field green ICT focuses on the greening of ICT and using ICT to optimise the energy footprint of the ICT-supported processes. For organisations, applying green ICT in the broadest sense presents them with challenges. In this paper we explore what factors are influencing the adoption of green ICT. We follow three organisations that used a green ICT tool, the SURF Green ICT Maturity Model, to identify such factors. Tools like the maturity model help organisations identify the what and how. We found other factors, such as strategic alignment, culture and leadership, determine the why. As ICT is a general purpose technology, it potentially affects all processes in an organisation. To have a greening impact, the main challenge for green ICT is to take a systemic approach and involve all (relevant) parties. ICT departments often position themselves as support (followers, not leaders); this proves to be a big hurdle in the adoption of green ICT.