A Theoretical Framework for Sustained Strategic Alignment and an Agenda for Research

This paper addresses the question, How do organizations sustain alignment between organizational strategy and IT strategy over time? We begin our investigation of this question by reviewing the literature on alignment. From this vantage point, we develop a model of sustained strategic alignment over time that integrates the two primary perspectives on alignment, alignment as an end state and alignment as a process. Our model is built upon the Dynamic Capabilities Framework, an extension of the well-known Resource-Based View of the Firm, and explains how an organization's ability to achieve a high degree of strategic alignment is an enduring competency that allows the organization to respond to the rapidly changing competitive environment. By developing a strategic alignment competency, organizations are able to sustain alignment over time. We conclude our paper by suggesting a research agenda to test our model of sustained strategic alignment and our theoretical propositions. Our paper contributes to research on strategic alignment by (1) integrating the end-state and process perspectives on alignment, (2) providing the Dynamic Capabilities Framework as a theoretical base for strategic alignment research, and (3)explaining how strategic alignment can be understood as an enduring capability that enables organizations to sustain alignment over time.