TECHNOLOGY DEBT: TOWARD A NEW THEORY OF TECHNOLOGY HERITAGE
Johan Magnusson, Bendik Bygstad · 2014
Investment decisions related to information technology simultaneously constrain and facilitate prospective options. Hence, past and present decisions in relation to information technology investments impact future decisions and the maneuverability of organizational IT. The purpose of this paper is to develop and explore a new theory for better understanding how technology heritage impacts future decisions. The study expands a previous metaphor from software engineering and management (technical debt) into a broader theory of technology debt, and explores the proposed theory through the case of four investment decisions at a large, public university. As the findings show, there are clear indications of the theory being useful, and this is elaborated on in relation to future studies.