Governance and Management of Green IT: A Multi-Case Study

Context: The changes that are taking place with respect to environmental sensitivity are forcing organizations to adopt a new approach to this problem. Implementing sustainability initiatives has become a priority for the social and environmental awareness of organizations that want to stay ahead of the curve. One of the business areas that has, more than others, proven to be a vital asset and a potential ally of the environment, is the area of Information Technology (IT). Through this area, Green IT practices advocate sustainability in and by IT. However, organizations have a significant handicap in this regard, due to the lack of specific Green IT standards and frameworks that help them carry out this type of sustainability practices. Objective: We have developed the “Governance and Management Framework for Green IT” (GMGIT), which establishes the necessary characteristics to implement Green IT in organizations, from the point of view of the governance and management of this area. After developing and validating a first version of this framework, we have performed a set of improvements, obtaining the GMGIT 2.0, which we want to validate. Method: We have conducted a series of empirical validations at international level based on case studies, whose characteristics and results are presented in this study. Results: The results of this multi-case study show an example of the current situation of organizations in Green IT, as well as the resolution of problems encountered during the validations conducted with the GMGIT 1.0. Conclusion: The findings obtained demonstrate the usefulness, applicability, and validity of the framework when implementing, auditing, and improving Green IT in organizations in a systematic and progressive manner.