An Examination of an Information Systems Flexibility Framework

This paper investigates IS flexibility as a way to meet competitive challenges in hypercompetitive industries by enabling firms to implement strategies by adapting their operations processes quickly to fast-paced changes. It presents a framework for IS flexibility as a multidimensional construct. Through a literature review and initial case study analysis, factors to assess flexibility in each dimension are constructed. Findings of an exploratory study conducted to test the framework are reported. Based on the above it is argued that the concept of IS flexibility in hypercompetitive industries IS flexibility must be pursued from a holistic perspective to understand how it may be exploited to achieve a competitive advantage.