Improving Strategic Alignment

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Hiekkanen ◽  
Anni Pekkala ◽  
Jari Collin
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Alignment ◽  
It Governance ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
Strategic Direction ◽  
Strategic Value ◽  
The Social ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Value Of It

This study aims at providing organizations with new insight on how IT governance practices impact strategic alignment. The research is conducted as an in-depth case study in a large, multinational manufacturing and service company. The case reveals that improving IT governance practices is not sufficient to achieve high alignment, when the understanding of strategic value of IT is lacking. Improved alignment would require that IT is perceived as a strategic function in the organization and the IT governance treated accordingly. Bringing business and IT socially and culturally closer to each other is also required, but improving alignment on the social and cultural dimensions is dependent on the existence of the strategic direction: achieving alignment is difficult without common objectives between business and IT people. In general, the study illustrates limited impact of IT governance practices on alignment without requisite strategic direction.

IT Governance in Romania: A Case Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1850158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirela Gheorghe ◽  
Pavel Nastase ◽  
Dana Boldeanu ◽  
Aleca Ofelia
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
It Governance ◽  
Status Report ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Global Status ◽  
Using Data ◽  
And Control

Relatively new in Romania, IT governance is defined as procedures and policies established in order to assure that the IT system of an organization sustains its goals and strategies. This bundle of policies and procedures, following the best practices in the area, intends to guide and control the IT function in order to add value to the organization and to minimize IT risks. The purpose of the research is to identify the measure in which the IT governance practices are implemented to the level of the financial institutions in Romania. The goal of this paper is a comparative analysis for implementing IT governance using data offered by the IT Governance Institute. This institute makes every year a study (IT Governance Global Status Report – 2006) to determine a sense of priorities and to develop actions for implementing IT governance, using data which acknowledges once more the need for all organizations to have tools and services to assure an efficient IT governance. In this way, the research will analyze, in the field of Romanian financial institutions, the most serious IT problems pointed out by the respondents from the last year, the most efficient measures considered by top management for resolving problems pointed out, the best used practices in IT governance and the most used frameworks for implementing IT governance practices.

Differences and Dialogic Learning in a Collaborative Virtual Design Studio

2006 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 85-94
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Hou ◽  
Min-Jay Kang
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Design Studio ◽  
Virtual Design ◽  
Dialogic Learning ◽  
Design Collaboration ◽  
Collaborative Environment ◽  
Traditional Design ◽  
The Social ◽  
Operational Issues

With the ability of linking distant partners and diverse bodies of students and faculty, virtual design studios provide unique opportunities for examining cultural, contextual, and methodological differences in design and design collaboration. However, most evaluations of virtual design studio in the recent literature have focused primarily on technical and operational issues. In contrast, the social and cultural dimensions of virtual design studio and their pedagogical implications have not been adequately examined. To address this gap, this article examines the experience and outcomes of a recent virtual design studio involving international collaboration between faculty and student partners. Specifically, it looks at how presence of differences and process of dialogic learning create pedagogical opportunities in a collaborative 'virtual' environment. Based on the case study, this article argues that through dialogues, collaboration, and negotiation of cultural, contextual and methodological differences, collaborative virtual design studio offers an alternative to traditional design studio based on the primacy of individual practice and the master-apprentice model of learning. By creatively utilizing the collaborative environment involving diverse partners, virtual design studio can foster a critical understanding of cross-cultural design process and the significance of dialogues and negotiation in design.

scholarly journals Performance indicators as a strategic alignment tool – the experience of SENAC Paraná

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-43
Author(s):  
Solan Arantes Valente
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Strategic Alignment ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
The State ◽  
State Information ◽  
Strategic Direction ◽  
Alignment Tool ◽  
Why Questions ◽  
Global Strategies

This article presents a case study of the appropriation of Balanced Scorecard’s concepts by SENAC Paraná, through thedevelopment of performance indicators for strategic alignment. The implementation of the strategic direction of socialpromotion, one of the pillars of the institution, was measured through indicators that aim to monitor the units’ actions ofgratuitousness, under the premise that they sustain this strategy. The focus of the indicators is both productivity andmeeting the targets of gratuity. These indicators were subjected to statistical analysis by the technique of analysis ofvariance, whose goal is to show the existence of significant differences in the list of data analyzed. The result showsthat, in fact, there is difference in the performance of the units, which is why questions are suggested in order to assistthe process of alignment between local and global strategies, with the objective of optimizing the supply of free coursesin all regions of the state. This case study describes the experience of SENAC Paraná, with scope limited to the year2013 and on the 33 schools for vocational education institution, distributed throughout the state information.

Is the Perceived IT Governance Maturity Level Enough?

2011 ◽  
pp. 61-76
Author(s):  
Jong-Sung Park ◽  
Jung-Hoon Lee ◽  
Chi-Hoon Lee
Keyword(s):  
It Governance ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Control Framework ◽  
The World ◽  
Value Of It

Despite Carr’s assertion that IT would soon become a commodity (Carr, 2004), corporations are increasingly coming to regard their particular deployment of IT as a strategic asset (ITGI, 2008). As companies increasingly recognize the value of IT, the importance accorded in their thinking to IT Governance (ITG) also grows. According to a recent IT Governance Institute (ITGI) report on ITG around the world, a number of companies are working actively to heighten their ITG maturity level. These efforts, however, do not always bring with them their expected results if they are undertaken on the basis of a narrow or distorted view of ITG. This research closely analyzes a case study company, evaluating its ITG maturity level through the COBIT framework. COBIT results are compared with the company’s own CIO’s evaluation of its ITG level. This comparison shows the need for companies to assess their ITG needs in a balanced way before seeking to way to advance their level of ITG. In addition, the work indicates the desirability of consistent monitoring conducted under a well-devised control framework.

Corporate Collapse and IT Governance within the Australian Airlines Industry

2011 ◽  
pp. 187-202
Author(s):  
Simpson Poon ◽  
Catherine Hardy ◽  
Peter Adams
Keyword(s):  
It Governance ◽  
Management Team ◽  
Corporate Groups ◽  
Holding Company ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Integral Element ◽  
Governance Arrangements

The purpose of this case study is to highlight IS/IT governance arrangements in multi-layered organisations for the purpose of advancing knowledge about the effectiveness of such arrangements when, as in this case, the holding company collapses. The Kendell case is an example of a smaller entity with its own IS/IT governance embedded in a larger holding company with separate governance practices. Such arrangements raise questions relating to issues such as what most appropriate style and form of governance is required, whether benefits may be derived from multi-tiered governance systems for corporate groups, and if synergies can be created. The insistence of the Kendell IT manager and management team on autonomy in Kendell’s IS/IT governance proved to be an integral element in its corporate resilience during the collapse of the holding company.

Countervailing the liability of newness by bringing in active initial investors: the case of Facebook

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Matteo Cristofaro
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Direction ◽  
The Social

Purpose This paper aims to present how Facebook overcame its liability of newness period, helping the interpretation of the same initial financial and organizational troubles faced by current unicorns. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the case study method has been used. Findings This story shows how the inclusion of active initial investors in the strategic team is pivotal for a firm’s survival. This case study depicts in depth the first years of life of the social network Facebook, focusing on the initial investors’ role for the survival of the firm. Originality/value This paper shows how an initial strategic team (especially the inexperienced) may benefit from the inclusion of active initial investors in terms of financed capital, and of further financing and refocusing of the strategic direction.

scholarly journals The Transformative Potential of Active Citizenship: Understanding Changes in Local Governance Practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J.M. Mattijssen ◽  
Arjen A.E. Buijs ◽  
Birgit H.M. Elands ◽  
Bas J.M. Arts ◽  
Rosalie I. van Dam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Space ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Active Citizenship ◽  
Social Connectivity ◽  
Transformative Potential ◽  
The Social ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Path Dependent ◽  
Path Dependent Process

This paper focuses on understanding the transformative potential of active citizenship in green space governance. Through an in-depth case study, we show how citizens promoted the redevelopment of a brownfield into a green space, but eventually also contributed towards a broader co-creative shift in local governance. In this process, we highlight how a shift in citizens’ activities from contestation towards collaboration led to the uptake of citizen-driven discourses and activities in spatial planning. The social connectivity between governance practices is of key importance in this transformation—successful governance practices that involve active citizens can inspire others. Even so, transformation is often a slow and path-dependent process which also depends on an enabling policy environment. Cooperating with authorities provides citizens with power, but also requires alignment with official rules. Creating and maintaining effective partnerships will remain a challenge for citizens and policymakers that strive for societal transformations.

The Impact of IT Governance Practices on Strategic Alignment

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Kari Hiekkanen
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Strategic Alignment ◽  
It Governance ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Larger Sample

The importance of strategic alignment has been recognized both by academia and practitioners alike. Previous research provides an ample body of work both on IT governance and strategic alignment. However, empirical evidence of the effect of IT governance on alignment is still lacking. This study explores how IT governance impacts strategic alignment on strategic and tactical levels. Based on a survey, the study confirms a positive impact of IT governance on strategic alignment and proposes a preliminary set of eight key practices of IT governance to support strategic alignment with further scrutiny of different industries, regions, and larger sample sizes.

Social Design for Services Framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie SARANTOU ◽  
Satu MIETTINEN
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Group ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Social Design ◽  
Practical Action ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World

This paper addresses the fields of social and service design in development contexts, practice-based and constructive design research. A framework for social design for services will be explored through the survey of existing literature, specifically by drawing on eight doctoral theses that were produced by the World Design research group. The work of World Design researcher-designers was guided by a strong ethos of social and service design for development in marginalised communities. The paper also draws on a case study in Namibia and South Africa titled ‘My Dream World’. This case study presents a good example of how the social design for services framework functions in practice during experimentation and research in the field. The social design for services framework transfers the World Design group’s research results into practical action, providing a tool for the facilitation of design and research processes for sustainable development in marginal contexts.

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