<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>We would like to announce a symposium on “Digital Business Strategy” as part of a Special Issue of MISQ that is co-edited by <span style='color:black'>Anandhi Bharadwaj, Omar El Sawy, Paul A. Pavlou, and N. Venkatraman. The symposium will take place at the Fox School of Business at Temple University on April 8-10, 2011. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The symposium will include a practice-oriented session on Friday April 8, and an academic-oriented session on Saturday-Sunday 4/9-10. The practice-oriented event will feature a CIO 2.0 panel on “How CIOs can lead Digital Business Strategy” with CIOs and executives from Aramark, CIGNA, Deloitte, Hewlett-Packard, and Wyeth. The academic-oriented session will feature the papers that are under consideration for the Special Issue of MISQ on “Digital Business Strategy: Toward a New Generation of Insights.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'>As exponential advancements in the price/performance capability of computing, storage, bandwidth, and software applications drives the next generation of digital technologies to be delivered through cloud computing, it is time to rethink the role of IT strategy, from that of a functional-level strategy aligned but essentially subordinate to business strategy, to a fusion between IT strategy and business strategy into an overarching <b><i>digital business strategy</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'>The purpose of this Special Issue of <i>MISQ </i>is to examine whether <i>digital business strategy </i>is a more appropriate framework to examine the evolution of IT and business strategy. In particular, what role can IT play in formulating and leading new business strategies, designing new organizational forms, and creating new business capabilities for success? Should IT strategy always be subordinate to business strategy, or is IT strategy the new business strategy? Is IT strategy better understood as a functional-level strategy, or is it fundamentally different than other functional-level (e.g., operations, marketing) strategies?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Paul A. Pavlou, PhD<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Associate Professor of Information Systems, Marketing, and Strategic Management<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Stauffer Senior Research Fellow<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Director, PhD Program in Business Administration <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fox School of Business<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Temple University<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.fox.temple.edu/directory/profile/ppavlou/"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.fox.temple.edu/directory/profile/ppavlou/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>