The operation of a workplace’s information technology (IT) system might easily be overlooked—until it malfunctions and disrupts daily activities. This underlines the crucial role IT specialists play in maintaining the smooth operation of a company’s virtual infrastructure.

As IT continues to become a cornerstone of modern business, leaders face the challenge of juggling the diverse priorities of IT personnel and those from other departments, such as marketing or finance.

A groundbreaking study co-authored by Associate Professor Surinder Kahai from Binghamton University, State University of New York’s School of Management, sheds light on an effective strategy for addressing this challenge. The research highlights the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in fostering better collaboration between IT staff and other business units. According to the findings, when CIOs enhance mutual understanding between these groups, it leads to a more aligned integration of IT with business goals.

The tendency of employees to operate within their departmental silos often results in a myopic view of the challenges specific to their areas. Professor Kahai emphasizes the importance of CIOs establishing mechanisms that facilitate a deeper understanding of IT among business personnel and vice versa. “Our findings suggest that creating avenues for cross-departmental learning can promote self-sufficiency and alignment,” Kahai explains.

This study’s conclusions are based on data analyzed from 68 organizations drawn from a commercial IT executive database. While previous research has proposed methods for CIOs to foster alignment, it has not thoroughly addressed the leadership behaviours necessary to guide these efforts effectively.

As noted by Kahai and his colleagues, the ability to inspire and promote cooperation is a vital leadership skill for CIOs in today’s highly digitalized environments.

The study elaborates that CIOs are most effective when they combine transformational leadership behaviours—motivating teams towards a collective vision—with transactional behaviours, which involve motivating through rewards or penalties. “These leadership styles are complementary; high levels in both are necessary to motivate and reinforce actions that support IT-business alignment,” the study indicates. A purely tactical approach, focusing on explicit goals and performance reviews, may be less effective than a strategy that includes motivational and unifying elements.

Moreover, the research suggests that while IT and business employees should maintain their specialist knowledge, they must also share enough common understanding to drive alignment within their organizations.

“This research addresses a significant gap in understanding how leadership connects with IT alignment. Previously, the intuitive link between these areas was often overlooked, and little progress was made in resolving alignment issues due to the inherent need for change,” Kahai remarks. He points out that such change must be leadership-driven, as leaving it to employees to initiate may not suffice. This study not only reinforces the importance of leadership in IT alignment but also provides a clear pathway for leaders aiming to enhance the integration of IT within their business strategies.

More information: Mike Taein Eom et al, The Effect of Ambidextrous CIO Leadership on Strategic Alignment Through Knowledge Integration Mechanisms, ACM SIGMIS Database the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems. DOI: 10.1145/3701613.3701616

Journal information: ACM SIGMIS Database the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems Provided by Binghamton University