The research is an attempt to identify in organisations the links between

The nature of the information processed by the organisation
The organisation structure it adopts.
The deployment approach taken to the information systems.

Underlying the research is the hypothesis that the characteristics of the information processed by the organisation when doing its day to day activities is a consequence of the business strategy adopted by the organisation, and that the inherent nature of the variety in the information flows affects the extent to which particular organisation structures and information systems support or hinder business success.

In organisations where the underlying organisational structures and the technological and operational choices made by the organisation about their Information Technology, are complementary to the business strategies and the resulting style of information processing needed, IT will be seen as supportive, and satisfaction with it will be high. An information processing approach that diverges from that required by the business strategy will compromise business success.

The need for a close relationship between business strategy and IT has the status of a canon in the IT community, however few theoretical approaches provide an understanding of the links between them. This research is an attempt to develop and validate a structure of ideas to assist organisations to be clear about the nature of the strategic choices they are making, their implications for the character of the information being processed by the unit, and help match the organisation, IT solutions and services to the requirements of the business.