Exploring the relationship between IT Alignment and Digital Transformation: a systematic literature review
Abstract
This paper seeks to review and synthesize the literature that investigates the relationship between strategic IT alignment and organizational digital transformation published between 2015 and 2025, using the PRISMA 2020 methodology. Analysis indicates that these two concepts are highly interdependent. IT alignment acts as both a precursor and a facilitator in successful digital transformation processes, while the chance of success is highly dependent on the prevailing IT governance maturity in an organization. This dynamic relationship calls for continuous adaptation since different organizational contexts critically affect the outcomes. Although there is meaningful insight from established theoretical frameworks, substantial research gaps can be identified. These findings therefore indicate further longitudinal studies that are sector-specific in enhancing understanding. To practitioners, resultant insights underline the critical need to develop coherent, integrated strategies where the use of digital transformation initiatives secures continued competitive advantage. An organization should, hence, align investments in technology with business objectives but with strong governance structures in place to ensure the effectiveness of transformation and long-term value creation within organizations.
Downloads
References
Adama, H. E., Popoola, O. A., Okeke, C. D., & Akinoso, A. E. (2024). Theoretical frameworks supporting IT and business strategy alignment for sustained competitive advantage. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i4.1058
Aghakhani, G., Wautelet, Y., Dijkmans, D., Heng, S., Poelmans, S., & Kolp, M. (2024). Supporting digital transformation strategy formulation through a customizable set of objectives: Conceptual model and expert opinions. Enterprise Information Systems, 18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17517575.2023.2300089
Avila, O., & Garcés, K. (2017). Change management support to preserve business–information technology alignment. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 57, 218–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2016.1184006
Barba-Sánchez, V., Meseguer-Martínez, Á., Gouveia-Rodrigues, R., & Raposo, M. (2024). Effects of digital transformation on firm performance: The role of IT capabilities and digital orientation. Heliyon, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27725
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O. A., Pavlou, P. A., & Venkatraman, N. (2013). Digital business strategy: Toward a next generation of insights. MIS Quarterly, 37(2), 471–482. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2013/37:2.3
Canhoto, A., Quinton, S., Pera, R., Molinillo, S., & Simkin, L. (2021). Digital strategy aligning in SMEs: A dynamic capabilities perspective. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 30, 101682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2021.101682
Caputo, A., Pizzi, S., Pellegrini, M., & Dabić, M. (2021). Digitalization and business models: Where are we going? A science map of the field. Journal of Business Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.09.053
Chan, Y. E., & Reich, B. H. (2007). IT alignment: What have we learned? Journal of Information Technology, 22(4), 297–315. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jit.2000109
Ciampi, F., Faraoni, M., Ballerini, J., & Meli, F. (2021). The co-evolutionary relationship between digitalization and organizational agility: Ongoing debates, theoretical developments and future research perspectives. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121383
Coltman, T., Tallon, P., Sharma, R., & Queiroz, M. (2015). Strategic IT alignment: Twenty-five years on. Journal of Information Technology, 30(2), 91–100. https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2014.35
Daidj, N. (2018). Strategic and business-IT alignment under digital transformation. In Research Anthology on Digital Transformation, Organizational Change, and the Impact of Remote Work. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7262-6.ch006
De Fátima Soares Borges, A., Laurindo, F., Spínola, M., Gonçalves, R., & Mattos, C. (2020). The strategic use of artificial intelligence in the digital era: Systematic literature review and future research directions. International Journal of Information Management, 57, 102225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102225
Favoretto, C., Mendes, G., Filho, M. G., Oliveira, M., & Ganga, G. (2021). Digital transformation of business model in manufacturing companies: Challenges and research agenda. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-10-2020-0477
Gajardo, P. A., & La Paz, A. I. (2019). Measuring business-IT alignment in a digitally revolutionized economy. International Journal on IT/Business Alignment and Governance, 10(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJITBAG.2019070101
Gökalp, E., & Martinez, V. (2021). Digital transformation maturity assessment: Development of the digital transformation capability maturity model. International Journal of Production Research, 60, 6282–6302. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2021.1991020
Haffke, I., Kalgovas, B., & Benlian, A. (2016). The role of the CIO and the CDO in an organization's digital transformation. Proceedings of the 37th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2016), 1–20.
Hanelt, A., Bohnsack, R., Marz, D., & Antunes, C. (2020). A systematic review of the literature on digital transformation: Insights and implications for strategy and organizational change. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12639
Hausberg, J., Liere-Netheler, K., Packmohr, S., Pakura, S., & Vogelsang, K. (2019). Research streams on digital transformation from a holistic business perspective: A systematic literature review and citation network analysis. Journal of Business Economics, 89, 931–963. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-019-00956-z
Henderson, J. C., & Venkatraman, N. (1993). Strategic alignment: Leveraging information technology for transforming organizations. IBM Systems Journal, 32(1), 4–16. https://doi.org/10.1147/sj.382.0472
Hoblos, N., Sandeep, M., & Pan, S. (2023). Achieving stakeholder alignment in digital transformation: A frame transformation perspective. Journal of Information Technology, 39, 630–649. https://doi.org/10.1177/02683962231219518
Jabri, M., Shaloh, S., Shakhoor, N., Haddoud, M., & Obeidat, B. (2024). The impact of dynamic capability on enterprise agility: The intervening roles of digital transformation and IT alignment. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2024.100266
Jedynak, M., Czakon, W., Kuźniarska, A., & Mania, K. (2021). Digital transformation of organizations: What do we know and where to go next? Journal of Organizational Change Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jocm-10-2020-0336
Jonathan, G. M., & Watat, J. K. (2020). Strategic alignment during digital transformation. In M. Themistocleous & M. Papadaki (Eds.), Information systems (pp. 656–667). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63396-7_44
Jonathan, G. M., Rusu, L., & Perjons, E. (2020). Business-IT alignment in the era of digital transformation: Quo vadis? 1–10. https://doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2020.685
Jonathan, G. M., Rusu, L., & Perjons, E. (2022). Digital transformation in public organisations: IT alignment-related success factors. Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Information Systems Development. https://doi.org/10.62036/isd.2022.13
Jonathan, G. M., Watat, J. K., & Seumo, H. T. (2022). Towards renewed business-IT alignment models in the digital era. Information Resources Management Journal, 35(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.4018/irmj.298972
Jonathan, G. M., Yalew, S. D., Gebremeskel, B. K., Rusu, L., & Perjons, E. (2023). IT alignment: A path towards digital transformation success. 471–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.01.314
Kane, G. C., Palmer, D., Phillips, A. N., Kiron, D., & Buckley, N. (2015). Strategy, not technology, drives digital transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte University Press, 14, 1–25.
Kitsios, F., & Kamariotou, M. (2021). Artificial intelligence and business strategy towards digital transformation: A research agenda. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042025
Kosasi, S., Sukmana, H., Yuliani, I., Laipaka, R., Fitriani, D., & M. (2024). Exploring the relationships between dynamic capabilities, digital transformation, and IT-business alignment. 2024 12th International Conference on Cyber and IT Service Management (CITSM), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/citsm64103.2024.10775904
Kozanoglu, D., & Abedin, B. (2020). Understanding the role of employees in digital transformation: Conceptualization of digital literacy of employees as a multi-dimensional organizational affordance. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 34, 1649–1672. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeim-01-2020-0010
Kraft, C., Lindeque, J., & Peter, M. (2022). The digital transformation of Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises: Insights from digital tool adoption. Journal of Strategy and Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsma-02-2021-0063
Lin, J., & Mao, M. (2023). How does digital transformation affect sustainable innovation performance? The pivotal roles of digital technology–business alignment and environmental uncertainty. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2830
Luftman, J. (2000). Assessing business-IT alignment maturity. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 4(1), Article 14. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.00414
Luftman, J., Lyytinen, K., & Ben-Zvi, T. (2017). Enhancing the measurement of information technology (IT) business alignment and its influence on company performance. Journal of Information Technology, 32, 26–46. https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2015.23
MacLean, D., & Titah, R. (2023). Implementation and impacts of IT service management in the IT function. International Journal of Information Management, 70, 102628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102628
Marth, D., Ploder, C., & Dilger, T. (2020). The upcoming role of the enterprise architect—From overseeing visualization and documentation to becoming the enabler for change and innovation. In Economic and Financial Challenges for Balkan and Eastern European Countries. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39927-6_16
McAfee, A., & Brynjolfsson, E. (2012). Big data: The management revolution. Harvard Business Review, 90(10), 60–68.
McCarthy, P., Sammon, D., & Alhassan, I. (2021). Digital transformation leadership characteristics: A literature analysis. Journal of Decision Systems, 32, 79–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/12460125.2021.1908934
Melo, I. C., Queiroz, G., Alves, P. N., De Sousa, T. B., Yushimito, W., & Pereira, J. (2023). Sustainable digital transformation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs): A review on performance. Heliyon, 9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13908
Mendes-da-Silva, F. M., & Albertin, A. L. (2024). The impact of IT-business strategic alignment on the transformation and operations of pre-digital businesses. RAC: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, 28(2), Article e240128. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-7849rac2024240128.en
Mergel, I., Edelmann, N., & Haug, N. (2019). Defining digital transformation: Results from expert interviews. Government Information Quarterly, 36(4), Article 101385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2019.06.002
Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363. https://doi.org/10.1086/226550
Mutai, J. K., Etene, Y., & Ronoh, R. (2025). ICT strategy alignment maturity for effective IaaS digital transformation. International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology. https://doi.org/10.32628/ijsrset2512503
Nadkarni, S., & Prügl, R. (2020). Digital transformation: A review, synthesis and opportunities for future research. Management Review Quarterly, 1–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-020-00185-7
Nicolás-Agustín, Á., Jiménez-Jiménez, D., & Maeso-Fernandez, F. (2021). The role of human resource practices in the implementation of digital transformation. International Journal of Manpower. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijm-03-2021-0176
Njanka, S. Q., Sandula, G., & Palacios, R. C. (2021). IT-business alignment: A systematic literature review. 333–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2021.01.154
Nwaiwu, F. (2018). Review and comparison of conceptual frameworks on digital business transformation. Journal of Competitiveness. https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2018.03.06
Onifade, A., Ogeawuchi, J., & Abayomi, A. (2023). Advances in digital transformation strategy through IT-business alignment in growth enterprises. International Journal of Management and Organizational Research. https://doi.org/10.54660/ijmor.2023.2.2.151-164
O'Reilly, C. A., III, & Tushman, M. L. (2008). Ambidexterity as a dynamic capability: Resolving the innovator's dilemma. Research in Organizational Behavior, 28, 185–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2008.06.002
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, Article n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pattij, M., Van De Wetering, R., & Kusters, R. (2022). Enhanced digital transformation supporting capabilities through enterprise architecture management: A fsQCA perspective. Digital Business. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2022.100036
Pelletier, C., & Raymond, L. (2023). Investigating the strategic IT alignment process with a dynamic capabilities view: A multiple case study. Information & Management, 61, 103819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2023.103819
Pelletier, C., L’Écuyer, F., & Raymond, L. (2025). Building organizational agility through digital transformation: A configurational approach in SMEs. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 125, 1503–1529. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-05-2024-0488
Pingilili, A., Letsie, N., Nzimande, G., Thango, B., & Matshaka, L. (2025). Guiding IT growth and sustaining performance in SMEs through enterprise architecture and information management: A systematic review. Businesses. https://doi.org/10.3390/businesses5020017
Porter, M. E., & Heppelmann, J. E. (2014). How smart, connected products are transforming competition. Harvard Business Review, 92(11), 64–88.
Ramdani, B., Raja, S., & Kayumova, M. (2021). Digital innovation in SMEs: A systematic review, synthesis and research agenda. Information Technology for Development, 28, 56–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2021.1893148
Rouhani, B., Mahrin, M., Nikpay, F., Ahmad, R., & Nikfard, P. (2015). A systematic literature review on enterprise architecture implementation methodologies. Information and Software Technology, 62, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.01.012
Saldanha, T., Lee, D., & Mithas, S. (2020). Aligning information technology and business: The differential effects of alignment during investment planning, delivery, and change. Information Systems Research, 31, 1260–1281. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2020.0944
Singh, N., Vishnani, S., Khandelwal, V., Sahoo, S., & Kumar, S. (2024). A systematic review of paradoxes linked with digital transformation of business. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 37, 1348–1373. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeim-07-2023-0397
Singh, S., Sharma, M., & Dhir, S. (2021). Modeling the effects of digital transformation in Indian manufacturing industry. Technology in Society. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101763
Teece, D. J. (2014). The foundations of enterprise performance: Dynamic and ordinary capabilities in an (economic) theory of firms. Academy of Management Perspectives, 28(4), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2013.0116
Verhoef, P., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of Business Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022
Vial, G. (2019). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 118–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2019.01.003
Wahdaniyah, N., Nurmandi, A., & Younus, M. (2025). A meta-analysis of the relationship between digital maturity and digital transformation. Society. https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v13i2.814
Weingarth, J., Richter, J., & Rosenkranz, C. (2020). Exploring alignment practices in digital transformation: A dynamic capabilities perspective. https://consensus.app/papers/exploring-alignment-practices-in-digital-transformation-weingarth-richter/434dfee7b57553db8ce1173bfa64b808/
Wessel, L., Baiyere, A., Ologeanu-Taddei, R., Rai, A., & Selig, S. I. (2021). Unpacking the difference between digital transformation and IT-enabled organizational transformation. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 22(1), 102–129. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00655
Westerman, G., Bonnet, D., & McAfee, A. (2014). Leading digital: Turning technology into business transformation. Harvard Business Review Press.
Yammanur, V., & Chowdhury, R. H. (2024). Leveraging enterprise architecture for digital transformation: A strategic approach to business agility. Academic Journal on Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.69593/ajsteme.v4i04.135
Yaqub, M., & Alsabban, A. (2023). Industry-4.0-enabled digital transformation: Prospects, instruments, challenges, and implications for business strategies. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118553
Yeow, A., Soh, C., & Hansen, R. (2017). Aligning with new digital strategy: A dynamic capabilities approach. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 27, 43–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2017.09.001
Zhang, M., Chen, H., & Luo, A.-M. (2018). A systematic review of business-IT alignment research with enterprise architecture. IEEE Access, 6, 18933–18944. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2018.2819185
Zhang, X., Xu, Y., & L. (2023). Information technology investment and digital transformation: The roles of digital transformation strategy and top management. Business Process Management Journal, 29, 528–549. https://doi.org/10.1108/bpmj-06-2022-0254
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohamed TAIEB-ERRAHMANI , Ali BOUHANNA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
