Start Date
10-12-2017 12:00 AM
Description
Business-IT alignment is a major driver of organizational performance. The extent that business and IT executives are socially aligned is a key determinant of overall business-IT alignment. Yet social alignment remains a poorly understood construct. This research develops a dynamic model of social alignment and misalignment, and identifies some of the project control factors that can influence their development. Drawing on interview and observational data from 17 respondents involved in a complex health- IT project over a two-year timeframe, we show that social alignment and misalignment are dynamic processes that involve eight phases – separation, disrespect, lack of cross-discipline participation, social misalignment through to learning, respect, cross-discipline participation and ultimately, social alignment. The model we propose differs from past research by offering a richer view of the alignment process. The research has implications for how researchers theorize social alignment and how practitioners can take steps to improve alignment over time.
Recommended Citation
Gilchrist, Alicia Kate; Burton-Jones, Andrew; Green, Peter; and Smidt, Michelle, "The Process of Social Alignment and Misalignment within a Complex IT Project" (2017). ICIS 2017 Proceedings. 10.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2017/IS-Development/Presentations/10
The Process of Social Alignment and Misalignment within a Complex IT Project
Business-IT alignment is a major driver of organizational performance. The extent that business and IT executives are socially aligned is a key determinant of overall business-IT alignment. Yet social alignment remains a poorly understood construct. This research develops a dynamic model of social alignment and misalignment, and identifies some of the project control factors that can influence their development. Drawing on interview and observational data from 17 respondents involved in a complex health- IT project over a two-year timeframe, we show that social alignment and misalignment are dynamic processes that involve eight phases – separation, disrespect, lack of cross-discipline participation, social misalignment through to learning, respect, cross-discipline participation and ultimately, social alignment. The model we propose differs from past research by offering a richer view of the alignment process. The research has implications for how researchers theorize social alignment and how practitioners can take steps to improve alignment over time.