A Multilevel Model for Measuring Fit Between a Firm’s Competitive Strategies and Information Systems Capabilities1
Authors: McLaren, Tim S.; Head, Milena M.; Yuan, Yufei; Chan, Yolande E.
Journal: MIS Quarterly (2011)
DOI: 10.2307/41409966
<jats:p>To compete in a highly dynamic marketplace, firms must frequently adapt and align their competitive strategies and information systems. The dominant literature on the strategic fit of a firm’s information systems focuses primarily on high-level measures of the strategic fit of a firm’s overall IS portfolio and the impact of fit on business performance. This paper addresses the need for a more fine-grained approach for assessing the specific areas of misfit between a firm’s competitive strategies and IS capabilities. We describe the design and evaluation of a multilevel strategic fit (MSF) measurement model that enables researchers and practitioners to measure the strategic fit of a firm’s information systems at both an overall and a detailed level. The steps in the model include identifying the relevant IS capabilities according to the type of system; measuring the current level of support for each capability using a capabilities instrument; identifying the ideal level of support for each capability using an adaptation of Conant et al.’s (1990) instrument to assess strategic archetype; and comparing the ideal and realized level of support for each capability. Evidence from…