The Impact of Information Technology on Interorganizational Networks: An Empirical Assessment of the Health Care Integrated Delivery System

Strategic alliances in the form of interorganizational networks continue to receive attention in both service and manufacturing industries as a potential form of competitive advantage. Health care organizations, in particular, have embraced partnerships and strategic alliances with much intensity, adopting the interorganizational network as the new business model for the health care industry. Yet, empirical evidence of the value of IT to enhance and support interorganizational networks is lacking in the IT literature. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to extend IT theory and research to the interorganizational network level of analysis through an empirical assessment of IT value for the health care integrated delivery system (IDS). This dissertation develops a framework of IT value for the interorganizational network that merges two complementary theoretical concepts, the strategic alignment model and the IT integration life cycle. Primary survey data is combined with secondary IDS performance and demographic data to empirically test a causal model of IDS maturity and its relationship to interorganizational network financial and quality performance. This dissertation makes two important contributions to the IT reference discipline. First, the use of the interorganizational network presents a perspective lacking in the IT literature. Second, the research marries the theories of strategic alignment and the IT integration life cycle to emphasize the need for balance between organizational initiatives and IT integration across all stages of interorganizational network development.