Lecture 4: The Strategic Alignment Model

Source / Reference:

1)  "Strategic Alignment: Leverage Information Technology for transforming organization" by J C Henderson and N Venkartraman 1993

http://search.proquest.com/docview/26252741/134A6C8B53F19A4F606/1?accountid=16210

2)  “Strategic Alignment : Analysis Of Perspectives” by P.Coleman and R.Papp 2006

http://www.scribd.com/doc/63096535/Coleman-SAIS2006-Paper

Subject:

In Lecture 4 - Which alignment strategy in SAM model is the best? and why?

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Response:

I think no alignment strategy is the best, it depends on the industry nature.

The SAM Model includes four dominant alignment strategies, which are Strategy Execution, Technology Transformation, Service Level and Competitive Potential. In addition to these four alignment strategies, there are also four different strategies that are formed from the different dominant combinations of the SAM Model. Therefore, there are Organization IT Infrastructure, IT Organization Infrastructure, Organization Infrastructure Strategy, IT Infrastructure Strategy. In addition to these eight alignment strategies, there are also four fusion alignment strategies that are formed from two of the eight strategies. There are Organization Strategy Fusion, IT Strategy Fusion, Organization Infrastructure Fusion, IT Infrastructure Fusion.

Different organizations have their different advantages and disadvantages. When they use the SAM Model to implement Operation Strategy and Information Strategy, they need to be directed against their own situation. Taking the insurance industry and manufacturing industry shown in the figure of an article of Preston Coleman and Raymond Papp as an example, the nature of these two industries is different. The manufacturing industry would adopt Strategy Execution, IT Organization Infrastructure, IT Infrastructure Strategy, Organization Strategy Fusion, and IT strategy Fusion. The insurance industry would adopt Strategy Execution, Organization IT Infrastructure, IT Infrastructure Strategy and Organization Infrastructure Fusion. 

It showed that different companies would adopt more than one alignment strategy to group together to obtain the best performance. They would not reply on only one alignment strategy.

Therefore, no alignment strategy is the best. Only combining appropriate alignment strategies together to fit the need of the company is the best.