Source 1: King, W.R., and Teo, T.S.H. 1997. Integration between business planning and information systems planning: Validating a stage hypothesis. Decision Sciences, 28 (2), 279-308.

Construct: King and Teo (1996, p. 279) propose a measurement of the nature and level of integration between business planning (BP) and information systems planning (ISP). They define BP-ISP integration as the alignment of IS strategies with business goals and business strategies gained through coordination between the business and IS planning functions and activities in another paper of theirs (Teo and King, 1996, p. 309).

Description: The measurement consists of ten items and all items are assessed using 4-choice questions.

1. Presently, BP-ISP integration mainly exists for the purpose of:
() facilitating administrative work processes.
() joint development of business and information systems strategies.
() facilitating business strategy.
() both facilitating and influencing business strategy.

2. The information systems function is primarily viewed as:
() a resource to facilitate business strategy.
() a resource to both facilitate and influence business strategy.
() technically oriented and nonstrategic.
() critical to the long-term survival of this organizational unit.

3. The primary role of the senior information systems executive is:
() an information systems expert who formulates information systems strategy to implement business strategy.
() an information systems expert who provides important inputs during business strategy formulation and implementation.
() a functional administrator responsible for providing “back room ” support.
() a formal and integral member of the senior management team who is involved in many business matters, even those not directly related to information systems.

4. The performance criteria for the information systems function are its:
() operational efficiency and cost minimization.
() contribution to business strategy implementation.
() long-term impact on the organization.
() quality of inputs into business strategy formulation and implementation.

5. The development of information systems applications is primarily triggered by:
() consideration of business goals.
() both consideration of business goals and information systems capabilities.
() consideration that information systems applications play a critical role in business strategy.
() the need to automate administrative work processes.

6. Please indicate the frequency of top management’s participation in Information Systems Planning:
() almost always.
() frequent.
() infrequent.
() seldom.

7. Please indicate the frequency of user participation in Information Systems Planning:
() almost always.
() frequent.
() infrequent.
() seldom.

8. Please indicate the frequency of the senior information systems executive’s participation in Business Planning:
() almost always.
() frequent.
() infrequent.
() seldom.

9. During Information Systems Planning, how frequent is the impact of new technologies assessed?
() almost always.
() frequent.
() infrequent.
() seldom.

10. The senior information systems executive is ____ level(s) below the CEO.
() one.
() two.
() three.
() four or more.

Validity: The Spearman correlations between each item and other items were employed in the study. Out of a total of 45 possible bivariate correlations, 36 bivariate correlations are significant. No other formal validities are verified and provided.

Source 2: Reich, B.H. and Benbasat, I. 1996. Measuring the linkage between business and information technology objectives. MIS Quarterly, 20 (1), 55-81.

Construct: Reich and Benbasat (1996) developed and tested measures of the social dimension of linkage between business and information technology objectives. They define the social dimension of linkage between business and information technology objectives as “the state in which business and IS executives in an organizational unit understand and are committed to each other’s mission, objectives, and plans.” (Reich and Benbasat,1996, p. 57)

Description: The measures created and tested in this study are to operationalize the mutual understanding aspect of the social dimension of linkage. The commitment aspect is not empirically investigated. The study relies on qualitative data and interpretative analysis, employing techniques like document analyses, interviews and surveys. Five candidate measures of linkage are examined based on a 4-point scales which are “high, moderate, low and none”:

1. cross references between written business and information technology short-term (one-year) plans;

2. cross references between written business and information technology long-term (five-year) plans;

3. IS and business executives’ mutual understanding of each other’s current objectives;

4. congruence between IS and business executives’ long-term visions for information technology deployments;

5. executives’ self-reported rating of linkage.

Validity: Due to the qualitative, exploratory nature of this study, no statistical formal validities, like convergent validity, discriminant validity, etc., are conducted and provided.