Business-IT Alignment : A View From The Bridge

This paper examines the role that social capital plays in organisations in creating alignment between the business and IT communities. The paper reports on an interpretative study in financial services looking at the impact that network associations, social norms, trust, reciprocity-expectation and collective efficacy have on alignment within four firms. The study found that firms with high levels of social capital resources in network relationships, social norms, trust and reciprocity-expectation are better able to create collective efficacy through partnership. Being part of a single business community derived from trust, a clear understanding of value and respect for each other’s contribution. Network associations and process were valuable but if they did not translate to higher levels of community and partnership, they did not contribute to the goal of alignment : superior performance.