Enterprise Architecture and Organizational Transformation: The Human Side of Information Technology and the Theory of Structuration

Enterprise architecture (EA) transforms the structure, culture, and social environment of an enterprise by introducing new processes and technologies into the workplace altering the roles, duties, responsibilities and organizational position of stakeholders. This transformation frequently affects stakeholder behavior and leads to either acceptance or rejection of an EA. Existing EA frameworks fail to recognize the significance of human behavior and its effect on EA. Therefore, a more holistic approach that includes sociologically-oriented provisions is needed. This paper advances our earlier work by exploring three factors that influence EA: organizational transformation, stakeholder resistance to change, and elicitation/use of erroneous EA requirements. Each of these issues can be addressed by implementing a sociologically-oriented approach designed to remove barriers that limit stakeholder action. The proposed approach focuses on a socio-communicative process that establishes an environment where stakeholder involvement in the decision-making aspects of EA is central.