IT Synergy: Towards a Conceptualization in the Context of IT Business Value Research

Abstract

This paper shows that researching on IT synergy is important, reviews the extant literature for existing conceptualizations of IT synergy, and tentatively conceptualize IT synergy. By reviewing the extant Information Systems literature, this paper found that there is no unanimous definition of IT synergy. As a result, the paper examines and analyzes existing views on IT synergy and proposes a conceptualization of IT synergy by weaving threads of research findings from various studies. The paper suggests that when synergy is reached, a platform of new resources, capabilities, and options emerges. By drawing on this path-dependent, socially complex, and causally ambiguous platform, organizations can become agile enough to adapt to the continuously changing competitive environment, exploit emerging opportunities as well as the ones that were once not exploitable, and constantly transform itself to maximize the exploitation of and the gain from related or complementary firm resources.

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