Alignment between organizational and information systems objectives : multiple case studies

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory study on the alignment between organizational objectives, as formalized in the business plans, and the information provided by Information Systems (IS) in order to monitor these objectives. The research was based on multiple case studies and meta-analysis, and tried to verify the existence of IS strategic information that supports the organizational objectives. The aim of the study was the identification of a set of variables that represents the relationship between organizational and IS objectives defined in the strategic plan, which configure the informational integration element described in the operational model of strategic alignment of Brodbeck and Hoppen [4]. The main results indicate that alignment promotion will be intensified if the companies establish an informational model, representative of the business management, that integrates the organizational objectives and the IS information in several levels (infra-structure and processes).