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Information technology alignment or “fit” in highly turbulent environments: the concept of flexibility

Most information technology (IT) “fit” literature has taken a structural contingency approach to studying the alignment of IT to organizational characteristics. The research has focused on internal fit, and assumed placid and stable environments. External fit is likely to be more important than internal fit for firms operating in highly dynamic environments. The concept of flexibility is introduced as a form of alignment in turbulent environments. Our definition of flexibility (based on work in IT, manufacturing, strategic management, and living systems theory) identifies three types of flexibility: flexibility in functionality, in use, and in modification. Twenty dimensions of IT flexibility help illustrate some possible measures. We conclude by discussing what our dimensions reveal about flexibility in the client/server domain.