Information technology and business strategic alignment in small and medium organizations: an exploratory study in Mexico

PurposeThis qualitative study aims to fill gaps in a widely studied and relevant organizational feature: the alignment between information technologies and business strategies.Design/methodology/approachThis research is a qualitative study. The authors used focus groups, content analysis and semantic networks as research approaches to identify the main factors that prevent or foster such alignment.FindingsResults reveal a leading role of innovation, organizational culture, access to information and financial factors that could promote or inhibit alignment and competitiveness.Originality/valueThis research was conducted only in small and medium organizations in Mexico, which represents about 52% of the Mexican Gross Domestic Product (for Mexico as one of the leading trade partners of the USA).