Reich and Benbasat’s (2000) article explores the social dimension of IT-business alignment, focusing on the factors that influence the relationship between business and IT objectives. The authors argue that social factors, such as communication, trust, and shared vision, are critical for achieving alignment between business and IT objectives.

The article presents a conceptual model of the social dimension of alignment, which includes four key factors: communication, participation, governance, and leadership. The model proposes that effective communication and participation between business and IT stakeholders, as well as strong governance and leadership, are essential for aligning business and IT objectives.

The authors provide empirical evidence to support their model, based on a survey of 139 organizations in Canada. The survey results indicate that the social factors identified in the model are significant predictors of alignment between business and IT objectives. Specifically, the authors found that effective communication, participation, governance, and leadership all contribute to higher levels of alignment.

Overall, Reich and Benbasat’s article highlights the importance of social factors in IT-business alignment, providing practical insights for organizations seeking to improve their alignment processes. The study suggests that organizations should focus on developing strong communication channels, encouraging participation from all stakeholders, establishing effective governance structures, and fostering strong leadership to achieve alignment between business and IT objectives.