Using Coevolutionary and Complexity Theories to Improve IS Alignment: A Multi-Level Approach

Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 21, pp. 284-298, 2006

15 Pages Posted: 28 Feb 2010

See all articles by Hind Benbya

Hind Benbya

Deakin University

Bill McKelvey

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Anderson School of Management

Date Written: December 12, 2006

Abstract

The misalignment of information systems (IS) components with the rest of an organization remains a critical and chronic unsolved problem in today’s complex and turbulent world. This paper argues that the coevolutionary and emergent nature of alignment has rarely been taken into consideration in IS research and that this is the reason behind why IS alignment is so difficult. A view of IS alignment is presented about organizations that draws and builds on complexity theory and especially its focus on coevolution-based self-organized emergent behaviour and structure, which provides important insights for dealing with the emergent nature of IS alignment. This view considers Business/IS alignment as a series of adjustments at three levels of analysis: individual, operational, and strategic, and suggests several enabling conditions – principles of adaptation and scale-free dynamics – aimed at speeding up the adaptive coevolutionary dynamics among the three levels.

Keywords: Information Systems Alignment, Coevolution, Complexity

Suggested Citation

Benbya, Hind and McKelvey, Bill, Using Coevolutionary and Complexity Theories to Improve IS Alignment: A Multi-Level Approach (December 12, 2006). Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 21, pp. 284-298, 2006 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1560603

Hind Benbya (Contact Author)

Deakin University ( email )

221, Burwood Highway
Melbourne, VIC 3125
Australia

Bill McKelvey

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Anderson School of Management ( email )

110 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1481
United States

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