Exploration of the misalignment between business and IT strategic objectives in public-sector organisations: An empirical study in Saudi Arabia

Understanding business-IT strategy misalignment is an increasingly important area of research in digitalisation of different business sectors. However, there is currently a dearth of research investigations of misalignment between business and IT strategic objectives in public-sector organisations. Considering the nature of business, the structure of organisation, and the organisational resources of public-sector organisations, the investigation of business-IT misalignment can significantly enrich our theoretical exemplification of the relationship between business and IT in the public sector. Moreover, it provides some insights for managers to identify and avoid the possible pitfalls during the IT implementation process. Anchoring on the strategic alignment model, this research aims to identify and analyse the factors that contribute to business/IT strategy misalignment in Saudi Arabian public-sector organisations. Using a qualitative study design that included semi-structured interviews in five public-sector organisations in Saudi Arabia, our findings indicate that the human, operational, and IT system factors lead to business-IT strategy misalignment. This study also finds that those practical approaches for avoiding the misalignment in Saudi public-sector organisations sometimes lack structure and consistency.