Higher Education Business and Technology Leaders’ Behaviors that Drive Outcome Alignment

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face unprecedented challenges, including capacity alignment, financial sustainability, and even public confidence (Grajeck & Brooks, 2020; Grawe, 2019; Oblinger, 2019; Simone, 2020, Wheeler, 2020, Witt & Coyne, 2019). Financial challenges force HEIs to reduce costs by making decisions like cutting programs, laying off staff or merging institutions to reduce operating costs (Chen et al., 2019; Sellingo, 2017; Witt & Coyne, 2019). Higher education leaders (HELs) must act as trusted partners and broker technology to align processes, support, and outcomes (Luftman 2000; Petkovics, 2018; Reinitz, 2019). Unfortunately, higher education’s business-technology (BITA) alignment remains lower than other national industries studied (Luftman & Kempiah, 2007). Organizations that align BITA strategies perform better, maximize the value of IT, pay less on IT per user and report higher customer satisfaction (Henderson & Venkatraman 1993; Reitz, 2019; Weiss & Anderson, 2004). Without alignment and value in technology investments, HEIs sustain higher operational costs, mis-aligned capacity and threatened financial sustainability, potentially leading to institutions closing or merging (Delany, 2019; Jesek & Lederman, 2018; Oblinger 2019; Witt & Coyne, 2019).The study determined business and technology leaders’ behaviors that demonstrate alignment competencies for higher education’s BITA. The study identified and categorized 141 behaviors demonstrating Luftman’s (2003) BITA competencies. The participants then determined the impact of the categorized behaviors. As a result, HELs identified the behaviors and their impact that demonstrate BITA competencies.