Information Systems and the Organization: Measuring Alignment

Abstract

Achieving alignment between the goals of the information systems (IS)function and the organization as a whole remains a top priority. A perceptualinstrument is described that sets out to measure this alignment. It allowsorganizations to monitor the alignment and effectiveness of their IS functionover time and to compare their situation with others. Largescale surveys ofdifferent industry sectors and more extensive studies of individual companies inthe United States and South Africa have been undertaken using the instrument.The results are used to evaluate the reliability and validity of the instrument.Several hypotheses regarding alignment are tested. The results suggest that thedegree of alignment between the importance and performance of specificaspects of IS influences overall perceptions of IS success. This applies toassessments of both IS staff and users. It is also found that IS staff and usersare mostly in agreement about the importance of different aspects of IS andthe success with which they are being performed, but the extent of thisagreement is not a predictor of overall success. Conclusions are drawnregarding the link between alignment and effectiveness of the IS function andrecommendations are made for researchers and practitioners.