Investigating the Structural Properties of an IT-Enabled Resource

Abstract

The synergistic combination and integration of information technology (IT) and other complementary organizational resources to form IT-enabled resources, has long been identified as one means through which organizations can derive benefits from IT. However, research shows that the integration required to form IT-enabled resources from which organizations derive benefits, also constrains the renewal and redeployment of the IT-enabled resources to address new strategic imperatives. Thus, there are several calls for further research on how organizations can sustain the derivation of benefits from IT especially in dynamic environments. This study responds to such calls. Specifically, it draws on a systematic literature review of empirical research on post-implementation changes to investigate the structural properties of an IT-enabled resource that may enable or constrain the renewal of the IT- enabled resource to address new strategic imperatives. Three structural properties emerged: the centrality of the focal IT asset, the type of coupling among the components, and the flexibility of the components of an IT-enabled resource. This study also found that organizational and institutional factors influence the formation of the structural properties of an IT-enabled resource. Implications for practice and research are discussed. This study contributes to the literature on the business value of IT.