Redefining business: IT alignment through a unified framework

Abstract

Even fervent adherents of business - IT alignment admit that the concept is not at all unambiguous, that no serious attempts have been made to make the concept more angible and hence that it is questionable whether alignment in its actual meaning is viable or even makes a difference in an organisation’s performance over time. This papers redefines the concept by positioning it in a unified framework. This framework is derived form the generic framework for information management and the integrated architecture framework. This paper aims at providing for the foundation for further research into the concept of alignment as a real tool for management and design.