The Impact of Cloud Computing Infrastructure Capability on Enterprise Agility

Abstract

Based on the IT business alignment perspective, this paper explores the influence mechanism of cloud computing technology on enterprise agility. Based on questionnaire data from 204 cloud-based enterprises, this paper uses structural equation model to explore the relationship among cloud computing infrastructure capability, IT business alignment and enterprise agility. The research results show that: (1) Two dimensions of cloud computing infrastructure capability (namely, the flexibility and integration capability of cloud computing) have significant positive effects on the two dimensions of IT business alignment (namely, intellectual alignment and social alignment); (2) Social alignment in IT business alignment has a significant positive impact on enterprise agility; (3) Intellectual alignment in IT business alignment plays a partial intermediary role between cloud computing infrastructure capability and enterprise agility, while social alignment in IT business alignment plays a full intermediary role between agility capability and enterprise agility, and plays a partial intermediary role between integration capability and enterprise agility.