The contents of the latest issue of
The Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS)
Official Publication of the Association for Information Systems
Volume 12, Issue 4, April 2011

Published: Monthly Electronically
ISSN: 1536-9323
Published by the Association for Information Systems, Atlanta, USA
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/

Editor-in-Chief: Professor Shirley Gregor, the Australian National University, Australia


PAPER ONE

Conceptualizing the Dynamic Strategic Alignment Competency
By Jeff Baker, Donald Jones, Qing Cao and Jaeki Song

Abstract:
This essay addresses the question, “How can strategic alignment that is sustained over time be conceptualized and quantified?” We build on the Dynamic Capabilities Framework and suggest that an organization’s ability to achieve a high degree of alignment between its IT strategy and its business strategy is an enduring competency that is a source of competitive advantage. We couple this theoretical understanding of how strategic alignment provides value with extant research to explain an approach to measuring an organization’s dynamic strategic alignment competency. Our measurement approach considers (1) the degree of alignment at a given point in time, (2) the organization’s history of alignment, and (3) the maturity of the business processes that enable IT and business strategies to co-evolve. Our paper contributes to research on strategic alignment in two ways. First, we address a stated need for more substantial theory to undergird strategic alignment research by highlighting and building upon the Dynamic Capabilities Framework. Second, we move beyond static, single-time-period examinations of alignment to explain a dynamic approach to alignment, one that includes an operationalization of the dynamic strategic alignment competency. In sum, we argue that the dynamic strategic alignment competency is an enduring organizational competency built on organizational processes and routines that provides a source of competitive advantage.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol12/iss4/2/

PAPER TWO

By The Impact of Data Quality Tags on Decision-Making Outcomes and Process
Rosanne Price and Graeme Shanks

Abstract:
It has been proposed that metadata describing data quality (DQ), termed DQ tags, be made available in situations where decision makers are unfamiliar with the data context, for example, in data warehouses. However, there have been conflicting reports as to the impact of such DQ tags on decision-making outcomes. Early studies did not explicitly consider the usability and semantics of the DQ tag designs used experimentally or the impact of such tags on decision process, except in suggestions for future research. This study addresses these issues, focusing on the design of usable DQ tags whose semantics are explicitly specified and exploring the impact of such DQ tags on decision outcomes and process. We use the information quality framework InfoQual, the interaction design technique of contextual inquiry, and cognitive process tracing to address DQ tag semantics, usability, and impact on decision process, respectively. In distinct contrast to earlier laboratory experiments, there was no evidence that the preferred decision choice changed with DQ tags, but decision time was significantly increased and there were indications of reduced consensus. These results can be explained by understanding the impact of DQ tags on decision process using concurrent protocol analysis, which involves participants verbalizing thoughts while making a decision. The protocol analysis study shows that DQ tags are associated with increased cognitive processing in the earlier phases of decision making, which delays generation of decision alternatives.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol12/iss4/1/