Examining the application of standards for information technology service management practice: An empirical study

This paper examines the application of Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) standards and provides an integrative view on how ITSM is executed in practice. Content analysis of 150 relevant job postings is used to assess the demand for ITSM standards, identify and rank the ITSM standards applied in organizations and identify the ITSM processes commonly implemented. Findings show a high adoption rate for ITSM standards and a large preference for ITIL. Findings also show that most commonly implemented processes are those that improve compliance with service level agreements and customer satisfaction. Details for such findings and their implication are discussed.