Power Distance And Strategic Alignment: A Case Study Of A Subsidiary Of A Multinational Organisation

Strategic alignment has generated much interest among information systems (IS) researchers and practitioners as an important factor in the quest to gain value from IS investments. In this study, the influences of power distance on efforts by organisations to achieve strategic alignment are examined. It is based on a single case study of a multinational organization conducted under an interpretive research paradigm. The study confirms that low power distance of the headquarters is embedded in the management style, organizational structure, and decision making processes of the subsidiary which is deemed to be located in a high power distance context. The paper assesses the implications of the findings for the development of culturally sensitive strategic alignment strategies.

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