The Interplay of Strategic Management and Information Technology

Abstract

The authors trace historical developments in the fields of information technology (IT) and strategic management. IT’s evolution from the mainframe era to the Internet era has been accompanied by a shift in the strategic emphasis of IT. In the early days, IT’s contribution to the organization was largely information provision, monitoring and control. Current research at the intersection of IT and strategic management increasingly highlights the impact of IT in terms of informing strategic decisions and enabling information flow vis-à-vis all manner of organizational processes. We believe these fields are ripe for research focusing on their complementary impact on organizational performance.

Impact of IS Strategy and Technological Innovation Strategic Alignment on FirmPerformance

“…The role of IT to facilitate business processes should be carefully defined and focus properly on business objectives, strategies, and tactics [60]. Information systems are considered a critical strategic organizational resource [51]; [61] and an essential enabler of business growth and economic development [62]. Firms are making significant investments in information systems to manage customer relationships and enable innovative functional operations [59]; [7]; bridge the gap in global development [63]; integrating functional areas to improve intra and interorganizational communications, collaborations, and operational efficiencies [10] among others.…”