| The flexibility of an organization's information technology infrastructure plays a key role in gaining, and keeping, competitive advantage. As organizations continue to apply information technology to solve business problems, they find that this technology must be responsive, or flexible, to enable them to successfully compete in a rapidly changing marketplace.; This research defines the construct of information technology infrastructure flexibility (ITIF) and then develops and tests an instrument designed to operationalize the ITIF construct. This study also examines the relationship between the ITIF construct and Sethi and King's (1994) construct of competitive advantage.; Using data gathered from a survey mailed to a stratified random sample of 1000 computer executives, the study found that three distinct dimensions comprise the ITIF construct: information technology personnel, information technology integration, and information technology modularity. The research also showed that a significant relationship exists between the three ITIF dimensions and the dimensions of the competitive advantage constructs.; This study makes several contributions to the information systems research discipline. First, the study defines the construct of information technology infrastructure flexibility and addresses the importance of the construct in modern, rapidity changing, hypercompetitive business environments. Second, the study operationalizes the ITIF construct by developing a valid and reliable instrument. Third, the study finds that the flexibility of a firm's information technology infrastructure does contribute to gaining, and keeping, a competitive advantage. |
