Aligning Green IT with Environmental Strategies: Development of a Conceptual Framework that Leverages Sustainability and Firm Competitiveness

Environmental technologies are becoming increasingly important for business firms to reduce environmental impacts and differentiate from competitors. In this paper, fundamental approaches of strategic management are presented and the strategic significance of sustainability initiatives and Green Information Technology (Green IT) is analyzed. Environmental strategies are introduced and the importance of strategically aligning the business, sustainability, and IT domain is highlighted. We argue that there is no consistent approach for aligning Green IT with sustainability goals and business objectives so far. To close this research gap, we integrate Green IT into the concept of IT strategy and develop the Strategic Green IT Alignment Framework (SGITAF), which could prove meaningful for both practitioners and academics. The SGITAF differentiates between an internal and an external perspective and comprises the domains Green IT and environmental sustainability. Four distinct Green IT alignment perspectives, which vary according to their competitive focus and their competitive advantage, are suggested.