| This research project was inspired by conversations with IS executives about what they thought were the important as well as the challenging parts of their jobs. Understanding something about the 'Black Box' of IS alignment, the alignment process, was the ultimate goal. After conceptualizing, designing and conducting a multiple-site case study which involved four very different organizations and testing a leading theory of how the alignment process operated, the findings and implications of the study are presented in the final two chapters of this project. Four findings, (punctuated vs. gradualistic alignment change, 'Reinvention vs. Thickening', 'Positioning follows Process', and 'Fit vs. Tension') represent the main discoveries from the project. These discoveries provide potentially insightful and interesting implications for future research as well as practical IS strategic management techniques. It is hoped that building stronger management techniques and theories in this body of research will be of interest not only to management researchers, but to IS managers and policy-makers as well. |
