Since the early days of computing, IT professionals have been struggling with their end users
(customers) to such an extent that end users became sceptic about the quality of service and
support IT professionals can offer. As such, relationships between IT professionals and end users
were in many cases very poor, which impacts negatively on the efforts to use information
technology to the advantage of organizations or communities as a whole. This paper briefly
describes the historical reasons therefor and gives a theoretical foundation for the establishment
of IT-end user relationships. The paper describes IT-end user relationships as intriguing and
complex and proposes a conceptual framework that explains all the important elements involved
during the establishment and maintenance of sound relationships as well as for managing change.
This paper is based on a research study conducted into the working relationship between IT
departments and its end users. The research was done by means of a qualitative approach in
which thought experiments were used to inductively refine the results of the research study.
Sedert die ontstaan van die rekenaarwese en die gepaardgaande dienslewering via
inligtingstegnologie bestaan die neiging by eindpuntgebruikers om skepties te staan teenoor die
gehalte van diens wat deur inligtingstegnoloë gebied kan word. Dit het daartoe gelei dat die
verhoudinge tussen eindpuntgebruikers en die inligtingstegnoloë vertroebel is. Voordelige
gebruik van inligtingstegnologie deur ondernemings en die gemeenskap is gevolglik daardeur
benadeel. Hierdie stuk behandel kortliks die historiese oorsake vir die toedrag van sake. Dit
beskryf ook die teoretiese grondslae vir die skepping van wedersydse verhoudings vir die
probleemsituasie. Die stuk ondersoek die aandagwekkende en komplekse verhoudingsmilieu.
Dit beskryf vervolgens ’n voorgestelde konsepraamwerk waarmee die belangrik elemente by
die daarstelling en instandhouding van gesonde verhoudings blootgelê kan word. Dit
behandel ook die gepaardgaande begrip van veranderingsbestuur. Die navorsing is gebaseer
op werklike praktykgegewens. Die navorsings maak gebruik van kwalitatiewe metodes en
induksie om die resultate tot bruikbaarheid te verfyn.
