Strategic Use of Information Technology in International Business: A Framework for Information Technology Application

Information Technology’s (IT) link to the strategy of the firm has been explored in Information System literature, but the application of IT to the strategy of the international firm has received limited attention. This paper addresses the topic by exploring the use of IT in conjunction with a popular framework, the Integration- Responsiveness (IR) framework, of international business strategy. The framework’s three subgroups; global integration, multifocal, and local responsiveness are discussed. Specific applications of IT are then examined with reference to the dimensions that have been used to operationalize the IR framework. They are complex innovation, marketing differentiation, breadth, and conservative cost control. The paper concludes with implications for practice and research.