The aim of this study was to explore the nature and extent of the alignment of business and information strategies, and organisational factors which might be related to that alignment. The study was undertaken in two parts: an extensive literature analysis to identify possible factors and models of alignment, followed by empirical case study based research examining factors which might be related to the alignment of business and information strategy in some large information intensive organizations. The conceptual frameworks for the study were drawn from the literatures of strategy development, organizational design, and theories and practices of information systems and services. The literature review and analysis for this study was purposely extensive in order to encompass a wide range of conceptual and research based literatures about the management of information systems and services which inform the study. the literature review revealed burgeoning interest in the area of business and information strategy alignment from different, though often narrow, paradigms. At the same time there was plenty of rigorous, empirically based and cumulative studies of direct relevance to the research question. Areas of potential importance to the alignment of business and information strategy, drawn from the conceptual and research based literature, were examined in a hypothesis-generating empirical case study analysis of four of Australia’s five largest firms in the financial services sector.

The aim of this study was to explore the nature and extent of the alignment of business and information strategies, and organisational factors which might be related to that alignment. The study was undertaken in two parts: an extensive literature analysis to identify possible factors and models of alignment, followed by empirical case study based research examining factors which might be related to the alignment of business and information strategy in some large information intensive organizations. The conceptual frameworks for the study were drawn from the literatures of strategy development, organizational design, and theories and practices of information systems and services. The literature review and analysis for this study was purposely extensive in order to encompass a wide range of conceptual and research based literatures about the management of information systems and services which inform the study. the literature review revealed burgeoning interest in the area of business and information strategy alignment from different, though often narrow, paradigms. At the same time there was plenty of rigorous, empirically based and cumulative studies of direct relevance to the research question. Areas of potential importance to the alignment of business and information strategy, drawn from the conceptual and research based literature, were examined in a hypothesis-generating empirical case study analysis of four of Australia’s five largest firms in the financial services sector.

Several surveys indicate that corporate leaders still consider the aligning of IT and business functions as a top management issue. The aim of this thesis is to illustrate how coordination emerges between IT and business departments and how formal structures intended to coordinate are influenced by human action. To deepen the understanding of this phenomenon we seek to analyze IT/business coordination from a perspective based on practice theory. A field study was conducted where observations and informal interviews were carried out at the IT department of a global company. The empirical analysis indicate that coordination problems between IT and business departments is in part affected by embedded factors such as different goals and perspectives on how IT is to be used in the organization or how to design IT related processes. Our findings suggest that social interaction plays an important role for coordination. It can enhance existing formal structures or create new structures, which improve the possibilities to coordinate between IT and business departments. Our findings also show how formal structures such as cross-functional roles can constitute conditions to initiate social interaction. The results can be used as indicators for how to enhance coordination between IT and business departments.

The alignment of information systems (IS) strategies with business strategies has been a managerial priority in modern organisations. Information Technology (IT) governance is an alternative perspective that has recently been used as a management solution that can drive to desired levels of IS/business alignment. From a pragmatic perspective, both IS/business alignment and IT governance appear to be managerial solutions that corporations desire to implement in order to get the most of the business and IT relationship. Empirical research has addressed the idea that effective designs of IT governance enable IS/business alignment, however, the extent of such impact and related interactions are still unclear. This research is focused on those claims to contribute with pragmatic solutions towards IS/business alignment and IT governance by means of collective management practices. This research explored challenges, assumptions and conceptualisations around IS/business alignment and focused on the assessment process of IS-business alignment to identify management practices for both IS/business alignment and IT governance. First, a quantitative analysis from data collected of an international survey was performed. This survey was conducted to identify extreme outcomes of relevant management practices in the IS/business alignment dynamics and links with IT governance. Second, a qualitative analysis from data collected of two leading large companies, one in the manufacturing and other in the financial sector, was performed by using a three-level (strategic, tactical and operational) assessment method. This case research aimed to identify how common relevant management practices interact across strategic, tactical and operational organisational levels. Results of both analyses were integrated to elaborate the constructors of the framework derived from this research, namely ALIS-G. The results from this research can be summarised as follows: First, ALIS-G exhibits four core management practices (IT investment management, budgetary control, strategic and tactical program management, strategic and tactical understanding of IT-business) and four supportive (IT-business planning, IT projects prioritisation, sponsorship & championship and change readiness) to show collective and compelling influence over the IS-business alignment dynamics and the effectiveness of IT governance arrangements. Second, a well-established IT investment management process holds the most substantial positive impact in the IS-business alignment dynamics and design of IT governance arrangements. Finally, results highlights the fact, perhaps obvious, that the arrangement of IT governance and the dynamics of IS/business alignment are very much conditioned by the resilient assignment, allocation and administration of budgets

<p><strong>Introduction. </strong>This bachelor thesis concerns the subject of IT Governance, how organizations prioritize and decides IT-related issues. The thesis will approach how Swedish Small-to-Medium sized Enterprises, which are considered successful, governs IT-related issues.</p><p><strong>Theoretical Framework. </strong>In order to conduct this research, the Governance Arrangement Matrix, created by MIT Sloan 2003, is applied which was also incorporated in a global study by Weill in 2003. The matrix involves five different decisions domains within IT and different corporate archetypes divided by stakeholder involvement.  The compiled data will thus be analyzed and mapped against Weill's study to derive the contemporary decision structure in Swedish SME's and create a comparison to map any alterations that might have occurred.</p><p><strong>Method. </strong>Through utilizing an online-survey and conducting telephone interviews, 108 responses from Swedish SME's provided the necessary data to map the contemporary decision-structure within IT in a deductive manner to both utilize quantitative and qualitative data, creating an understanding of the derived outcome. The analysis will provide an understanding for organizations to see the fit between business objectives and IT-usage, creating future possibilities for organizations to further optimizes their alignment between the business and IT. The main conclusions from this thesis could be summarized as follow:</p><p><strong>Results. </strong>The involvement of the board-of-directors has become more frequent, and with the inclusion of a Chief Information Officer, the collaboration throughout the corporate hierarchy enables a broader understanding of the impact of IT. Although that this approach was the most frequent selected archetype, the decisions relating to IT acquisitions and architecture, the majority of responses showed indications relating these areas to be decided by CIO/IT-department thus in conclusion: the knowledge that CIO/IT-departments has are sufficient to support the everyday business need.</p><p>Furthermore, the differences found between this research and the underlying study by Weill, indicates that IT is considered a multi-dimensional problem that needs constant supervision and that the view upon prioritizations and governance has been altered.</p>

Introduction. This bachelor thesis concerns the subject of IT Governance, how organizations prioritize and decides IT-related issues. The thesis will approach how Swedish Small-to-Medium sized Enterprises, which are considered successful, governs IT-related issues. Theoretical Framework. In order to conduct this research, the Governance Arrangement Matrix, created by MIT Sloan 2003, is applied which was also incorporated in a global study by Weill in 2003. The matrix involves five different decisions domains within IT and different corporate archetypes divided by stakeholder involvement.  The compiled data will thus be analyzed and mapped against Weill's study to derive the contemporary decision structure in Swedish SME's and create a comparison to map any alterations that might have occurred. Method. Through utilizing an online-survey and conducting telephone interviews, 108 responses from Swedish SME's provided the necessary data to map the contemporary decision-structure within IT in a deductive manner to both utilize quantitative and qualitative data, creating an understanding of the derived outcome. The analysis will provide an understanding for organizations to see the fit between business objectives and IT-usage, creating future possibilities for organizations to further optimizes their alignment between the business and IT. The main conclusions from this thesis could be summarized as follow: Results. The involvement of the board-of-directors has become more frequent, and with the inclusion of a Chief Information Officer, the collaboration throughout the corporate hierarchy enables a broader understanding of the impact of IT. Although that this approach was the most frequent selected archetype, the decisions relating to IT acquisitions and architecture, the majority of responses showed indications relating these areas to be decided by CIO/IT-department thus in conclusion: the knowledge that CIO/IT-departments has are sufficient to support the everyday business need. Furthermore, the differences found between this research and the underlying study by Weill, indicates that IT is considered a multi-dimensional problem that needs constant supervision and that the view upon prioritizations and governance has been altered.

The support of mobile workers with mobile IT solutions can create dremendous improvements in mobile business processes of a company. The main charateristic of such a mobile system is the ability to connect via a (mobile) network to a central server, e.g. in order to access customer data. The frequency and the location of the use, data topicality, interaction requirements and many more are central aspects when developing a suitable system architecture. This paper provides a detailed decription of the four main software architectures for mobile systems and their main charateristics. Beyond, typical business requirements are developed, the implications for the system architecture for each of them is shown.

Purpose – The authors want to give an actual overview of the CREM in Sweden and investigate how certain issues, such as business alignment and strategy of CREM are handled in Sweden.Importance – Scant published research in the academic field of corporate real estate management is covering the Swedish market, hence this paper tries to close this gap. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines current literature on the topic of CREM and analyses market data gained by a survey and interviews to illustrate the status of CREM in Sweden to dayLimitation – The participation rate in the survey prevents the authors from drawing conclusions significant for the whole market, a wider ranged survey including unlisted companies would certainly help enhancing this research and identify more patterns in the marketKeywords – Corporate Real Estate Management, strategy, business alignment, performance, benchmarking, flexibility, outsourcing, Sweden

Title: Digital business strategy - The driver for change in internal and external business environment Authors: Sumera Magsi and Sarah Shaaban Advisor: Andrea Fried Master thesis, 30 credits Background:The effects resulting from a more intense use of digital technologies in companies is visible in the integration between business and IT strategies which creates an urge for digital business strategies to emerge. Thesis aim: The aim is to investigate the current state of digital business strategies which includes highlighting benefits and challenges. By doing that we also are aiming towards answering, in what way ITBA can be questioned due to DBS. Methodology: A qualitative research based on a multiple case study by conducting semi- structured interviews. All the selected case companies are using digital business strategies as a part of their internal and external business environment (IEBE). The respondents have a role in the chosen case companies of being responsible for the implementation and use of strategies, digital business strategies and digital technologies. Findings: This study identifies that their exits a linkage between business strategy and ITBA. The main finding about the current state of DBS involves both internal and external DBS activities. Further findings show that benefit of digital business strategy to be the opportunity to levering costumers and challenges to be connected to the different IT maturity levels of the employees. The way that digital business strategy can question ITBA is based on that it is the driver for change for the case companies.

Purpose – Motivated by the increasing role of information technology (IT) in today’s organizations, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between business and IT executives in order to improve the organizational performance of the different aspects of IT technology and related systems. In the process, special attention is given to drivers which facilitate the cooperation between the parties involved. Design/methodology/approach – This survey-based research utilizes structural equation modeling methodology to uncover the relevant variables pertaining to the promotion of a positive social and strategic context needed to increase the effectiveness of organizational IT facets. Findings – The effectiveness of IT in modern organizations is contingent on a social alignment, business – IT alignment, strategic consistency, and common vision among the people who manage the IT function and those who need the organization. Research limitations/implications – This study is based on a sample of Portuguese manufacturing organizations. Therefore, findings and conclusions should be interpreted accordingly. In this context, future research in other organizational cultural settings is called for in order to refine and validate the results of this study. Practical implications – The role of establishing an organizational culture which stresses the common goal and mutual trust and cooperation in creating effective IT organizational utilization is underscored. As such, business executives are encouraged to exercise their leadership skills in order to create an organizational strategy which aligns IT capabilities and investments with the competitive strategy of the organization. In this context, creating an organizational culture which promotes business – IT alignment in a healthy social context is necessary. Originality/value – The issues and concerns addressed in this study should bridge the gap between business and IT executives. In the process, this study facilitates and encourages the effective utilization of the different facets of IT technology as they better serve the people of the organization. This advances the cost and practice of the strategic organizational role of IT investments.