BUSINESS AND IT, TOWARDS THE PERFECT MATCH.

: THE APPLICABILITY OF A (R)EVOLUTIONARY METHOD FOR ALIGNING BUSINESS AND IT: A CASE STUDY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Abstract

The fast-changing world of information technology brings both challenges and opportunities for achieving effective business-IT alignment, which the last ten years is ranked as one of the most important ICT management issues and nowadays still seen as an unsolved problem. This research explores the practical utilisation of Nodehi et al.'s (2023) evolution plan as a strategic approach to enhance business-IT alignment in a local government setting.
The applicability of this (r)evolutionary method is tested via a single holistic case study in a Flemish municipality on four wide-ranging projects. The municipality is active in a high amount of knowledge domains and operates in a hierarchical government structure, which entails multiple business-IT alignment challenges. The evolution plan emerged as a pragmatic solution that was effective in tackling these challenges and provided guidance on the case organisation’s project approach.
This research contributes to both scientific knowledge and practical implications in the field of business-IT alignment. It also sheds light on possible improvements in the planning method, thereby making it highly suitable for improving business-IT alignment in a local government context.
The implications of this research extend to public sector organisations seeking to overcome their business-IT alignment challenges. By adopting Nodehi et al.'s (2023) evolution plan, these organisations can improve collaboration, increase stakeholder participation and promote a shared understanding of organisational goals. The research highlights the importance of a structured and uniform approach to project planning, allowing organisations to respond adequately to dynamic changes inherent to local government.

Date of Award	11 Jun 2023
Original language	English
Supervisor	Sara Nodehi (Examiner) & Laury Bollen (Co-assessor)