W4 - Strategic Alliance Mode

Source / Reference:
1)  "Strategic Alignment: Leverage Information Technology for transforming organization" by J C Henderson and N Venkartraman 1993http://search.proquest.com/docview/26252741/134A6C8B53F19A4F606/1?accountid=16210
2)  "Strategic Alignment: Analysis of Perspectives” (2006) by P Coleman and R Papp
http://sais.aisnet.org/2006/Coleman-SAIS2006-paper.pdf

Subject: 
In Lect 4 - Which alignment strategy in SAM model is the best? and why? 

Response:1st paragraph: [ Put Your conclusion or  abstract or main opinion]  

I think no alignment strategy is the best because different industries have different nature. Therefore, we should apply the suitable alignment strategy to particular industries to achieve the “best” one.2nd paragraph:  [Elaborate and support your points ]To find the “best” alignment strategy, we should understand what four domains are. Both business and IT have strategy and infrastructure domains. We can know what they are about from the following graph.

To use the strategic alignment model correctly, we should identify the strongest and weakest domain of the company. It needs to develop communication and increase understanding of weaker domains. Then we can understand relationship between domains when change in strategy occurs.

Different alignment strategies have different focus so there is no “best” one fit for all industries. For example, strategy execution is focus on improve business processes through changing business infrastructure. Technology transformation is focus on aligning IT strategy and IT infrastructure. Service level is focus on enabling business infrastructure by fitting IT infrastructure to IT strategy. And competitive potential focus on enabling new business opportunities by IT.