Understanding employee competence, operational IS alignment, and organizational agility – An ambidexterity perspective

Abstract

Views on whether business-information systems (IS) alignment enhances or impedes organizational agility vary. The present study addresses this paradox by examining business-IS alignment at the strategy implementation stage, that is, the operational level. We conceptualize operational-level IS alignment (hereafter OISA) as an ambidextrous capability consisting of both structural and social alignments and examine its effect on organizational agility. Furthermore, we study the role of shared competence between business and IS departments in achieving OISA ambidexterity. Survey data of 119 departmental managers empirically support our research model. We summarize the implications and suggestions for future research.