Is the perceived IT governance maturity level enough? A case study of a Korean enterprise

Despite Carr's assertion that IT would soon become a commodity (Carr, 2004), corporations are increasingly coming to regard their particular deployment of IT as a strategic asset (ITGI, 2008). As companies increasingly recognize the value of IT, the importance accorded in their thinking to IT Governance (ITG) also grows. According to a recent IT Governance Institute (ITGI) report on ITG around the world, a number of companies are working actively to heighten their ITG maturity level. These efforts, however, do not always bring with them their expected results if they are undertaken on the basis of a narrow or distorted view of ITG. This research closely analyzes a case study company, evaluating its ITG maturity level through the COBIT framework. COBIT results are compared with the company's own CIO's evaluation of its ITG level. This comparison shows the need for companies to assess their ITG needs in a balanced way before seeking to way to advance their level of ITG. In addition, the work indicates the desirability of consistent monitoring conducted under a well-devised control framework.