Board information technology governance mechanisms and firm performance among Iraqi medium-sized enterprises : do IT capabilities matter?

This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of Iraqi medium-sized enterprises’ board members on how board information technology governance mechanisms affect their companies’ performance with the help of IT capabilities as a mediator. The study is based on a survey of 223 board members using a stratified random sampling technique. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) method results show that board IT governance structure and board IT governance relational have a significant direct and indirect positive relationship with firm performance through IT capabilities. Contrariwise, IT capabilities do not interfere with the relationship between board IT governance processes mechanisms and firm performance. Our study contributes to the IT business literature by addressing new relationships and providing empirical evidence that explains the inconsistent and mixed results of prior studies. Moreover, it extends and complements these prior studies by considering three board IT governance mechanisms, four IT capabilities, and merges the two dimensions of firm performance in a developing country that offers different institutional settings and litigation environment. The study findings offer notable implications for business practitioners and industry leaders to enhance the IT environment and maximize their corporate outcomes. In addition, these findings draw the attention of the board members, management, and corporate general assemblies to recognize the importance of intensifying the investment in IT capabilities to gain superior firm performance.