An Examination of the Strategic Alignment Literature in IS through a Co-Citation Analysis

In this article we study the diffusion of Henderson and Venkatraman’s strategic alignment model (SAM) through the analysis of their 1993 seminal article’s legacy. We investigate all works that cite this article and show that this corpus constitutes a homogeneous research field that does not question the basic assumptions of the original model. We investigate the intellectual structure of this field. Using different techniques of data analysis such as author co-citation analysis, multidimensional scaling and factor analysis, we confirm the existence of this field of research and delineate different theoretical pillars, i.e. the hypotheses and premises of this field. Despite a first movement of dissociation between SAM and its theoretical origins, the intellectual structure of the field reinforces the original hypotheses and premises. This field mostly does not challenge SAM’s fundamental assumptions although these assumptions may artificially constrain organizational reality and take into account a very limited aspect of it. We conclude by an appeal to reconsider SAM through other possible alternative perspectives and assumptions. This might well lead to an improvement of IT projects’ success rate in organizations

Three decades of strategic management research on M&As: Citations, co-citations, and topics

Merger and acquisitions (M&As) strategies have been growingly deployed by firms for their domestic and international expansion, to redefine their business scope or take advantage of emerging opportunities. In this paper we conduct a bibliometric study of the extant strategy research on M&As, assessed by the articles published in the main journal for strategic management studies over the period 1984-2010. Results reveal the highest impact works (articles and books), the intellectual ties among authors and theories that form five main clusters of research, and the topics delved into. Performance effects, M&As as diversification strategies and RBV and capabilities-based topics have dominated the extant research. The study contributes to the extant knowledge on M&As by taking stock of the accumulated knowledge and research direction, complementing other literature reviews with a strategic management specific perspective. Thus, we provide a rear view of the field which facilitates detecting untapped gaps that may be munificent avenues for future research.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Leveraging Open-standard Interorganizational Information Systems for Process Adaptability and Alignment: An Empirical Analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the value creation mechanisms of open-standard inter-organizational information system (OSIOS), which is a key technology to achieve Industry 4.0. Specifically, this study investigates how the internal assimilation and external diffusion of OSIOS help manufactures facilitate process adaptability and alignment in supply chain network.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was designed and administrated to collect data for this research. Using three-stage least squares estimation, the authors empirically tested a number of hypothesized relationships based on a sample of 308 manufacturing firms in China.FindingsThe results of the study show that OSIOS can perform as value creation mechanisms to enable process adaptability and alignment. In addition, the impact of OSIOS internal assimilation is inversely U-shaped where the positive effect on process adaptability will become negative after an extremum point is reached.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights on how OSIOS can improve supply chain integration and thus promote the achievement of industry 4.0. By revealing a U-shaped relationship between OSIOS assimilation and process adaptability, this study fills previous research gap by advancing the understanding on the value creation mechanisms of information systems deployment

Qualitative Case Studies in Operations Management: Trends, Research Outcomes, And Future Research Implications

Our study examines the state of qualitative case studies in operations management. Five main operations management journals are included for their impact on the field. They are in alphabetical order: Decision Sciences, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Journal of Operations Management, Management Science, and Production and Operations Management. The qualitative case studies chosen were published between 1992 and 2007. With an increasing trend toward using more qualitative case studies, there have been meaningful and significant contributions to the field of operations management, especially in the area of theory building. However, in many of the qualitative case studies we reviewed, sufficient details in research design, data collection, and data analysis were missing. For instance, there are studies that do not offer sampling logic or a description of the analysis through which research out-comes are drawn. Further, research protocols for doing inductive case studies are much better developed compared to the research protocols for doing deductive case studies. Consequently, there is a lack of consistency in the way the case method has been applied. As qualitative researchers, we offer suggestions on how we can improve on what we have done and elevate the level of rigor and consistency

Local government and community events in New Zealand: a case study of two neighbouring cities

The objectives for this research project were to examine the quality and type of support offered to community events through a case study of two neighbouring councils in the North Island of New Zealand; and to determine the impacts of events staged in the communities of both councils, including their influence on social capital building. The study found that both councils are supportive of the delivery of events by both council and non-council event organisers. The councils are providing human, financial and physical capital to enable the output of events. Event impacts – specifically social and economic impacts – were considered to be positive in nature. However, there is scope for greater strategic planning around community event delivery both by individual authorities and collaboratively, including the establishment of formal monitoring and evaluation systems. There is also scope to incorporate key lessons in regard to good practice, as identified by this study

Overcoming inertia : drivers of the outsourcing process

Almost all managers have directly or indirectly been involved in the practice of outsourcing in recent years. But as they know, outsourcing is not straightforward. Outsourcing inertia, when companies are slow to adapt to changing circumstances that accommodate higher outsourcing levels, may undermine a firm’s performance. This article investigates the presence of outsourcing inertia and the factors that help managers overcome it. Using statistical evidence, we show that positive performance effects related to outsourcing can accumulate when circumstances change. This is then followed by rapid increases in outsourcing levels (i.e. outsourcing processes). We investigate what gives rise to these outsourcing processes through follow-up interviews with sourcing executives, which suggest five drivers behind outsourcing processes: managerial initiative (using outside experience); hierarchy (foreign headquarters); imitation (of competitors and of similar firms); outsider advice (from external institutions); knowledge sources (using external information). These five drivers all offer scope for managerial action. We tie them to academic literatures and suggest ways of investigating their presence and impact on the outsourcing process. Overall, we conclude that while economizing factors play a key role in explaining how much firms outsource, it is socializing factors that tend to drive outsourcing processes

Agency Theory Implications for Strategic Human Resource Management: Effects of CEO Ownership, Administrative HRM, and Incentive Alignment on Firm Performance

Agency theory is used to expand the research in strategic human resource management (SHRM) by viewing the construct underlying SHRM as control over all employees. We develop hypotheses on the effects of CEO ownership, administrative HRM, and incentive stock ownership on firm performance. The results indicate that administrative HRM has a negative effect on stock price. Incentive alignment via stock ownership has a positive effect on stock price and productivity. CEO ownership has a positive effect on sales but a negative impact on productivity. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

IT Capabilities – Quo Vadis?

The successful management of IT capabilities and their complex interdependencies with other organizational capabilities constitutes an important source of competitive advantage for many organizations today. The role of IT capabilities in enabling competitive actions is well-researched. By reviewing a large number of IT capabilities-focused research articles, the authors seek to answer the questions, “What have we learned? What do we still need to learn?” This research-in-progress article presents key findings regarding IT capabilities, highlighting current research limitations, and providing propositions and recommendations regarding future research

On the termination of strategic technology alliances: An exploratory study

alliances, technology