Exploring Green IS Possibilities - Eco innovation planning for private companies

Abstract: Green Information System (IS) has become an important topic in IT management research and practice in the last few years due to economic opportunities and increasing pressure from stakeholders. However, many private organizations fail to manage their environmental efforts in an adequate manner since they neglect the strategic aspects of this topic. This paper discloses the strategic relevance of Green IS on the basis of a literature review that refers to fundamental approaches of Strategic Management and Information Systems research and emphasizes the necessity of aligning business, sustainability, and IT domain. The debate is emphasized by a multiple-case study that analyses the Green IS implementation practices of three companies on the basis of semi-structured interviews. The empirical findings of the cross-case analysis indicate that there is no consistent approach for aligning Green IS with corporate sustainability goals and business objectives so far. For that purpose, I conceptualize a Strategic Green IS Alignment Framework and identify four distinct Green IS strategies. The proposed framework is supposed to provide guidance for decision-makers in selecting an appropriate Green IS strategy that contributes to the achievement of corporate sustainability targets and leverages competitiveness.