An empirical study of the role of IT flexibility and IT capability in IT-business strategic alignment

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to contribute to the current discussion on strategic alignment of information technology and business (strategic alignment) by developing a model for conceptualizing how strategic alignment can be enabled through of IT flexibility and IT capability. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire instrument was created to measure the constructs and it was assessed in a pretest and two pilot-tests. The main data set was collected from IT managers (or similar titles) of medium- and large-sized firms. Findings: Strategic alignment seems to be moving closer to firms’ core activity in today’s business environment. The findings revealed that strategic alignment was significantly affected by four dimensions of IT flexibility and IT capability. Furthermore, the significant role of two dimensions of IT flexibility in IT capability was supported. Research limitations/implications: Single key informants were used for data collection that could be a potential limitation. Practical implications: It seems likely that firms will benefit from the results to manage and control their scarce IT resources more effectively for aligning IT with business strategies, goals and needs. Originality/value: Strategic alignment has become a more complex and unstructured phenomenon and many firms are still considering how to reconcile to it. Furthermore, the lack of empirical examination of IT flexibility and IT capability in relation to strategic alignment from important perspectives, and the lack of research of the dimensions of IT flexibility for supporting IT capability, determines the purpose of this study.