Assessing the Impact of IT Connectivity and IT Capability on IT-Business Strategic Alignment: An Empirical Study

Abstract

The literature argues that organizations cannot be competitive if their business and information technology strategies are not aligned. Yet achieving strategic alignment continues to be a main concern for business executives. So this research seeks to address the research problem of the lack of alignment between IT strategy and business strategy. Past studies have shown that flexibility in IT is an influential aspect of sustaining strategic alignment in today's environment while researches on dimensions of IT flexibility regarding strategic alignment are limited. One of the most important dimensions of IT flexibility is connectivity which the research has considered this dimension. Further, the researchers have found that IT capability in regard to strategic alignment and IT connectivity has been ignored in the prior studies. Thus, this research for filling this gap proposed and empirically assessed the relationships among IT connectivity, IT capability, and strategic alignment. Data for this study were collected through questionnaires filled up by IT managers of organizations in United Arab Emirates. The findings indicated IT connectivity and IT capability have a significant positive effect on strategic alignment and IT connectivity has also a positive impact on IT capability.