Electronic Business Strategic Orientation

This chapter addresses the current lack of empirical research into the organizational impacts of electronic business (e-Business). Any organization that delivers, or intends to deliver, Internet products or services can only be successful if its realized business process goals are operationally aligned with a set of (credible) top-level strategy goals. By introducing the concept of Aware and Enlightened organizations, this chapter posits that alignment of the organization’s (e-Business) information systems, quality, and learning strategies with the top-level e-Business strategy is a catalyst for superior e-Business outcomes. It recognizes that most organizations still attempt to achieve a fit between a financially focused business strategy and an organization structure that matches the environment and helps to meet expected performance. Hence, some traditional approaches for achieving sound strategy-process linkages are reviewed and a strategy alignment model is proposed that is judged capable of delivering superior firm performance to Internet-enabled organizations. A set of (pre-tested) instruments is then described that can be used to assess changes in alignment between the firm’s top-level e-Business strategy and its information systems, quality, and learning strategies that occur as a result of the e-Business initiative. Because it is important that the goals of the project team are also properly aligned with the top-level e-Business strategy, a project-level alignment model is also described that assesses the degree of alignment between the project deliverables and the firm’s e-Business strategy. This chapter has relevance for practitioners and academics who wish to understand how e-Business initiatives impact the alignment of key business processes with strategic business objectives.