RAC: Revista de Administração Contemporânea (Sep 2024)
The Impact of IT-Business Strategic Alignment on The Transformation and Operations of Pre-Digital Businesses
Abstract
Objective: this study aims to answer the following research question: How does IT-business strategic alignment (ITBSA) influence the sustaining or transformation of a pre-digital business? This objective was defined due to the critical importance of this topic for executives responsible for keeping such businesses adaptive and competitive in the face of the digital era’s opportunities and threats. Theoretical approach: the theoretical background of this article is formed by pre-digital and digital business models, IT-business strategic alignment, focusing on IT-enabled business support, IT-enabled business transformation, digital optimization, and digital transformation. Method: following the development of a research model and propositions, a case study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with executives from a multinational industrial company. These interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a deductive data collection and analysis protocol, supported by NVivo software. Results: the presence of organizational silos and the absence of a digital strategy were identified as key issues that have impacted the transformation of the pre-digital business studied. These challenges were mapped not only through case study analysis but also by triangulating these findings with the existing literature. Conclusion: despite the integration of an emerging digital strategy into ITBSA, traditional practices can still be helpful to mitigate the identified issues of strategic misalignment and organizational silos. For instance, executives need to maintain a balanced focus on both intellectual and social alignments to ensure that IT, business, and digital strategies collectively enable the business operations and transformation.
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