Information Systems Strategy, Structure and Alignment

A study sponsored primarily by the Advanced Practices Council of the Society for Information Management (SIM) International is briefly described. The research involved a mail survey in which data were gathered from insurance companies and manufacturing firms in the US and Canada. Sixty-seven CEOs and 67 CIOs responded to questions on business and information systems strategy, structure, alignment, and performance without knowing what their business unit counterparts were saying. Their views were compared and used to 1) examine the importance of strategic and structural alignment, 2) highlight difficulties experienced in achieving this alignment, and 3) document approaches used to improve alignment.