Abstract
For information management to effectively meet its goal, companies must clearly know the information concept they are pursuing, to whom it belongs, how it is stored, and who is responsible for managing, controlling, and using it. This research aims to evaluate the role of information as an integrating element of purpose, process, and people in Portuguese organizations that focus on collecting, processing, and disseminating information. It is an interdisciplinary study included in the context of Administration and Information Science in the aspect in which information and its flows connect with the various components of the strategic alignment of organizations. This exploratory study adopted a multi-case methodology. Three Portuguese organizations were studied. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with managers of the organizations under study. The cases were analyzed individually and subsequently subjected to comparative analysis. The findings suggest that, despite the centrality of information in their strategic purpose, the organizations surveyed do not use the information in its internal management and do not present the same effectiveness depicted in the provision of information services to external parties.
Keywords:
Strategic alignment; Purpose; Process; People