Assessing the relationship among server virtualization adoption, strategic alignment, and information technology effectiveness

he problem addressed was the lack of information technology (IT)-business alignment resulting in unfulfilled business goals and an ineffective use of technology. Although research has shown that there was a correlation between IT effectiveness, strategic alignment, and technology, critics were interested in further validating this relationship. The acceptance and adoption of server virtualization technology has created a measurable means of further assessing the relationship between IT effectiveness, strategic alignment, and technology. Although there were many IT frameworks to evaluate and consider, the framework assessed by Ness (2005), which looked at how IT flexibility and strategic alignment affected IT effectiveness, required further assessment. Server virtualization plays an important role in on-demand computing that was noted to be a significant value to business management. The value to the business is its ability to delay decisions until the computing resources are truly needed. The study included a quantitative correlational research approach to assess the relationships of three variables: server virtualization adoption, strategic alignment, and IT effectiveness. The research in this study addresses the challenges that companies face as they intend to be more efficient in business and IT delivery. Server virtualization can enable businesses to achieve their goals. This quantitative study shows that a positive relationship exists between IT effectiveness and strategic alignment. It further shows that there is a positive relationship between IT effectiveness and server virtualization adoption. Although there are similar studies that look at similar relationships, this study contains a contemporary review of the literature and a current assessment of senior IT managers in U.S. companies with revenue higher than...