A MULTILEVEL MODEL FOR MEASURING FIT BETWEEN A FIRM'S COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS CAPABILITIES.

Author List: McLaren, Tim S.; Head, Milena M.; Yuan, Yufei; Chan, Yolande E.;
MIS Quarterly, 2011, Volume 35, Issue 4, Page 909-A10.
To compete in a highly dynamic marketplace, firms must frequently adapt and align their competitive strategies and information systems. The dominant literature on the strategic fit of a firm's information systems focuses primarily on high-level measures of the strategic fit of a firm's overall IS portfolio and the impact of fit on business performance. This paper addresses the need for a more fine-grained approach for assessing the specific areas of misfit between a firm's competitive strategies and IS capabilities. We describe the design and evaluation of a multilevel strategic fit (MSF) measurement model that enables researchers and practitioners to measure the strategic fit of a firm's information systems at both an overall and a detailed level. The steps in the model include identifying the relevant IS capabilities according to the type of system; measuring the current level of support for each capability using a capabilities instrument; identifying the ideal level of support for each capability using an adaptation of Conant et al.'s (1990) instrument to assess strategic archetype; and comparing the ideal and realized level of support for each capability. Evidence from a multiple case study analysis indicates that the fine-grained assessment of strategic fit can strengthen the validity, utility, and ease of corroboration of the strategic fit measurement outputs. The paper also demonstrates how an iterative design science research approach, with its emphasis on evaluating the utility of prototype artifacts, is well suited to developing field-tested and theoretically grounded measurement models and instruments that are accessible to practitioners. This focus on practical utility in turn provides researchers with results that can be more readily corroborated, thus improving the quality and usefulness of the research findings.
Keywords: Strategic alignment; information systems capabilities; configurational theory; strategic archetypes; design science; research methods
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#263 0.171 instrument measurement factor analysis measuring measures dimensions validity based instruments construct measure conceptualization sample reliability development develop responses assess use
#59 0.141 capabilities capability firm firms performance resources business information technology firm's resource-based competitive it-enabled view study value infrastructure results organizational model
#127 0.123 systems information research theory implications practice discussed findings field paper practitioners role general important key grounded researchers domain new identified
#287 0.104 design systems support development information proposed approach tools using engineering current described developing prototype flexible built architecture environment integrated designing
#229 0.102 alignment strategic business strategy performance technology value organizational orientation relationship information misalignment matched goals perspective fit firms executives argue need
#157 0.086 evaluation effectiveness assessment evaluating paper objectives terms process assessing criteria evaluations methodology provides impact literature potential important evaluated identifying multiple
#191 0.071 model models process analysis paper management support used environment decision provides based develop use using help literature mathematical presented formulation
#295 0.062 task fit tasks performance cognitive theory using support type comprehension tools tool effects effect matching types theories modification working time