1Department of Information Systems and Operations Management Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306, USA. E-mail: ssharma@bsu.edu
2Department of Accounting and Information Systems The University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL 35899, USA. E-mail: guptaj@uah.edu
Management literature argues that flexibility in organizations can enhance corporate responsiveness and can create competitive advantages. In the new internet-driven economy, flexibility and rapid response are the keys to business success. The challenge is to structure a leaner, more customer focused and flexible organization to remain competitive in the global economy, especially in e-business. Creating an e-strategy requires comprehensive knowledge of every aspect of business, from core operational needs to competitive forces to technology priorities. So far, research on flexible organizations has emphasized only the operations management perspective and not the strategy perspective. This paper presents a conceptual framework of an e-strategy model that suggests considering flexibility at all levels. The model proposes that flexibility has to be considered at external stakeholders levels such as customers, partners, competitors and suppliers, as well as at internal organizational levels that include people, processes and technology.
e-business strategy, e-commerce, e-strategy, flexibility, IS/IT strategy
