Strategic alignment of business and Information Technology in Indian Petroleum sector organisations

There is enough anecdotal evidence that in order to compete the organisations must have aligned business and Information Technology (IT) strategies. Yet, achieving alignment is a major concern for the business executives. The alignment is difficult because maintaining synchronisation between business and IT is a major challenge as both are dynamic and continuously evolving. The aim of the article is to study the alignment factors that can contribute to IT alignment within the companies of the Indian Petroleum sector industry. The process is intended to aid in making the best possible use of the IT resources in meeting the company's business objectives. With this aim, three prestigious companies have been considered in this study. Three hundred and sixty-five managers belonging to these companies have been included in the study. Thus, the primary data collected has been analysed using the statistical tools for meaningful interpretation and to reach the conclusions. Through this study, the petroleum sector companies will be in a better position to know most important alignment factors and make concerted efforts to achieve it. This will facilitate better IT project management and development.