IS Alignment in Dynamic Environments: A Comprehensive Framework

In increasingly volatile environments, organizations face unprecedented challenges from events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising impacts of the climate crisis. Establishing effective alignment between Information Systems (IS) and the business is critical. Recognizing the substantial environment effect on alignment, we combine a literature review and expert interviews. Following design science research (DSR), we develop a conceptual framework to describe IS alignment as a dynamic process across strategic and structural levels in the context of pluralistic ecosystems affected by micro- and macro-environmental factors. We discuss our results and provide recommendations for further research. We enable insights both for researchers and practitioners to effectively address key environmental factors that affect IS alignment.