Evaluating the Impact of Strategic Alignment on Performance Components of Iranian Pharmaceutical Companies Using...

Area of Science:

• Business Administration
• Information Science
• Health Economics

Background:

• Sustainable performance in the pharmaceutical sector relies on integrating human resources (HR), marketing, and information technology (IT).
• Limited research exists on the combined impact of HR, marketing, and IT strategic alignment within Iran's pharmaceutical industry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relationship between strategic alignment of HR, marketing, and IT and organizational performance metrics.
• To assess the impact on profitability, liquidity, and revenue growth using machine learning.
• To validate model generalization and measurement accuracy.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of 323 managers in Tehran Stock Exchange-listed pharmaceutical firms.
• Validated questionnaires were used to create composite indices for HR, marketing, and IT alignment.
• Organizational performance data (profitability, liquidity, revenue growth) were extracted from financial statements and analyzed using a feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) with repeated cross-validation and bootstrap resampling.

Main Results:

• The study achieved strong aggregate model fit (R² = 0.91) with excellent generalization capabilities.
• The triadic alignment factor demonstrated the highest association with overall strategic alignment (R² = 0.76).
• Specific findings include organizational commitment's link to profitability (R² = 0.59) and aggressive marketing's link to profitability (R² = 0.66).

Conclusions:

• Machine learning analysis indicates a strong association between coordinated HR, marketing, and IT alignment and key performance indicators in the pharmaceutical industry.
• The study provides a robust, data-driven framework for enhancing managerial strategies in Iran's pharmaceutical sector.
• The validated instrument and rigorous methodology ensure reliability and practical applicability for improving business performance.