This paper aims to bridge the gap between previous examinations of HR strategic partnership from a role perspective (Truss et al. 2002; Caldwell 2003) and an emerging interest in the social construction of identity (Alvesson et al. 2008). I consider ‘strategic partner’ as a local, flexible social construction framed by the broader occupational context. Based on a year-long ethnographic study, I...

As information technology (IT) becomes more accessible, sustaining any competitive advantage from it becomes challenging. This has caused some critics to dismiss IT as a less valuable resource. We argue that, in addition to being able to generate strategic advantage, IT should also be viewed as a strategic necessity that prevents competitive disadvantage in rapidly changing business environment...

As information technology (IT) becomes more accessible, sustaining any competitive advantage from it becomes challenging. This has caused some critics to dismiss IT as a less valuable resource. We argue that, in addition to being able to generate strategic advantage, IT should also be viewed as a strategic necessity that prevents competitive disadvantage in rapidly changing business environment...

Pricing over multiple periods under forward-looking, strategic consumer purchasing behavior has received significant recent research attention; however, whether consumers actually benefit from this behavior and would voluntarily choose to be strategic has not been previously considered. We explore this question, and show that many consumers have lower surplus if they are strategic than if they ...

Preceding research attributed the lack of direct causal impact of Information Technology (IT) on firm’s sustainable competitive advantage. Numerous missing links include antecedents of the ITbusiness strategic alignment (also known as strategic alignment) and the sustainable competitive advantage. Furthermore, reviewers of recent literature have called for more research into the factors that af...

The research into SME’s is often presented as quite distinct from strategy or general management research. This paper examines the literature on Strategic Decision Making (SDM) process, drawing in some findings from the SME sector which show some key similarities. The paper makes proposals for research into SDM processes in SME’s, which would clarify both the general management theory and theor...

Businesses invest in developing information systems resources to gain competitive advantages. Literature has demonstrated the requirement of strategic alignment in converting these competitive advantages into sustained superior business performance. The knowledge of information systems strategic orientation and its relationship with business performance will enable these businesses to fine tune...