Antecedent Relationships in Business and Information Technology (IT) Alignment

Sudesh Naidu,Marius Pretorius

doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p391

Abstract

The literature suggests that the solution to business and IT alignment may lie in the antecedents of alignment. This study attempts to establish the role, mode of operation and sourcing option of the IT department as antecedents to alignment and show how they are related to one another. A survey was deployed within a case organization to demonstrate the measurement, analysis and interpretation of the alignment antecedents and the plausibility of the IT department being in an anomalous state with respect to alignment. The main contribution of this research is to create awareness of the antecedent variables of alignment by defining them, showing the relationships between them, and showing how they can be measured. Finally, the research aims to propose a framework to analyse the current role-mode state and sourcing options of an IT department and to use this information to determine the viable strategic options for an IT department. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p391

Highlights

As the context of the alignment problem lies in the environment within which alignment is being practised, it followed naturally to consider shifting the focus of the business-IT alignment problem to the environmental antecedents of alignment
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the mode of operation and sourcing option of the IT department as antecedents to alignment, determine how they are related to the role of the IT department, and show how they could be used to reach a point of stability that would facilitate alignment within the context of a particular organization
In the context of the organization being observed, the results show that the mode of operation of the IT department is currently a reactive mode of operation and that employees would ideally prefer a proactive mode of operation

Summary

Introduction

The alignment of IT strategies with the goals of the organization has long been a very sought-after state to achieve promising superior firm performance (Dong et al, 2008:348; Garg & Pellissier, 2005:33; Sanders, 2005:4; Singh & Woo, 2009:177), competitive advantage (Avison et al, 2004:223; Kearns & Lederer, 2003:1), organizational growth (Raymond & Bergeron, 2008:577; Wakabayashi, 2008:663) and IT credibility (Chen, 2010:9; Tarafdar & Qrunfleh, 2010:107). Chan and Reich (2007:311), after a review of the field of business and IT alignment, came to the conclusion that the antecedents were important to the alignment problem. Their study proposed that the role of the IT department within the organization was a fundamental antecedent to business and IT alignment. They recommended that future research identify the antecedents of alignment and explore the interrelationships.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion