Strategic alignment of business and technology in high-uncertainty avoidance contexts: empirical evidence from Bahrain

Purpose The rapid developments in emerging technologies are leading organisations into uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of uncertainty avoidance and technological readiness on business–technology strategic alignment in high-uncertainty avoidance contexts, providing empirical evidence from Bahrain. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a quantitative research design and methodology, including survey data gathered from professionals in Bahrain. The survey focused on uncertainty avoidance, emerging technologies, innovation readiness and strategic alignment. In total, 102 valid answers were obtained. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted. Findings The results of this research confirmed the important relationships among uncertainty avoidance, emerging technologies, innovation readiness and strategic alignment. Innovation readiness was the most significant predictor of strategic alignment, followed by uncertainty avoidance and emerging technologies. It can therefore be concluded that an organisation’s culture and innovation capacity plays a significant role in fostering business–technology alignment. Practical implications The findings yield valuable implications for policymakers and strategic planners considering cultural complexities in the digital transformation process. Originality/value This study contributes to the strategic alignment literature by challenging conventional assumptions regarding uncertainty avoidance and highlighting its potential to strengthen alignment in structured organisational environments. It further extends existing models by integrating cultural dimensions into the analysis of digital transformation in emerging economies.