Green IT Strategies

This chapter clarifies the linkages of strategy types and levels that relate to Green IT: business, sustainability, and IT strategy. The significance of aligning IT with business and environmental strategies is pointed out. It is emphasized that trade-off decisions are inherent to strategic management and essential for competitive positioning. Following this, a choice-based conceptual framework for the strategic alignment of Green IT is presented. The underlying strategy framework consists of three different strategy levels (corporate, competitive, functional) and domains (business, IT, sustainability). The conceptualized framework facilitates a holistic Green IT alignment with the aid of a five-step process. In the scope of this alignment process, four different Green IT strategies are presented. These strategies are subdivided along two dimensions: competitive advantage and focus. This research is supposed to provide new insights concerning the strategic impact of Green IT and to assist practitioners in identifying the Green IT strategy that corresponds most appropriately to their firm-specific context.</jats:p