Objective and main results

This article develops a measure of IT-business alignment and defines the scope and nature of activities that contribute to alignment.

Main findings:

• The results show that the following aspects are important for promoting alignment between business and IT:
  • IT-Business Communications
  • Use of Value Analytics
  • Approaches to Collaborative Governance
  • Nature of the affiliation/partnership
  • Scope of IT initiatives
  • Development of IT Skills.

All six dimensions contribute significantly to the level of alignment, which furthermore has a significant impact on firm performance.

Summary of practical implications

This article delineates the scope and extent of alignment activities whereby the IT function and other business functions (e.g., finance, marketing, HR) can carry out jointly to improve alignment.

The authors state that evaluation of the alignment status in organizations is a fundamental step in identifying actions necessary for enhancing the relationship between business and IT. Executives can use the results to articulate action plans for attaining greater IT-business alignment and ensure that IT is being leveraged to provide business value.