The Contingent Role of Innovation between IT Management Sophistication and Strategic Alignment

To provide deeper insight into IT managerial adaptive processes considered in strategic alignment mechanisms, we propose, using contingency theory, that the degree to which IT management sophistication contributes to a company’s success is contingent upon its adaptive innovated behavior. Results suggested that Taiwanese companies could succeed when IT management sophistication is appropriate for a certain innovation. Our research model was generic for foreign companies’ strategic behavior because, based on contingency theory, these companies make dynamic adaptations toward their particular environment for a competitive IT-based innovation. Implications of results are discussed. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com] IntroductIon What certain sophisticated level of information technology (IT) management practices is more critical to the effectiveness of a particular innovation? Such a question has widespread practical, as well as theoretical, ramifications because a company’s success may be realized only when appropriate IT is used to underlie a certain innovated business orientation (Kamal, 2006; Lacity, Willcocks, & Feeny, 1996). IT management sophistication means evolution of a company’s IT management practices such as information systems (IS) expenditure, IT use experience, IS function, and so forth (Gupta, Karimi, & Somers, 1997). It reflects the extent to which IS strategy can be formally pursued to support overall company goals, indicating that IS strategy should be progressively aligned with other