IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ininma/v46y2019icp1-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The value of and myths about enterprise architecture

Author

Listed:
  • Gong, Yiwei
  • Janssen, Marijn

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) has been embraced by many organizations to improve the value of their IT. Our systematic literature review (SLR) reveals that EA is a broad concept that is interpreted and used in many different ways. This breadth can be explained by the various starting points taken, and by the content-dependent nature of many EA efforts. Unsurprisingly, the literature presents diverse views on value creation and locates the value of EA in a broad range of areas. Only half of the articles provide empirical evidence supporting the EA value claims. Frequently, values are assumed to be the result of EA efforts, but many alternative explanations are possible. Based on the SLR findings, we identify EA myths that are attributable to an overly simplistic conceptualization of EA. These myths have their basis in the claim that EA is an instrument that can solve almost any kind of enterprise problem. This fails to acknowledge that EA in itself often does not provide value, but is an instrument enabling the creation of value. Based on our findings, we recommend demystifying EA by analysing the context-dependent mechanisms behind EA that result in value creation and developing rigorous evidence-based approaches to better understand EA.

Suggested Citation

  • Gong, Yiwei & Janssen, Marijn, 2019. "The value of and myths about enterprise architecture," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-9.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ininma:v:46:y:2019:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.11.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268401217305492
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.11.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Frank G. Goethals & Monique Snoeck & Wilfried Lemahieu & Jacques Vandenbulcke, 2006. "Management and enterprise architecture click: The FAD(E)E framework," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 67-79, February.
    2. Amrit Tiwana & Benn Konsynski, 2010. "Complementarities Between Organizational IT Architecture and Governance Structure," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 288-304, June.
    3. Arthur, W Brian, 1989. "Competing Technologies, Increasing Returns, and Lock-In by Historical Events," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(394), pages 116-131, March.
    4. David, Paul A, 1985. "Clio and the Economics of QWERTY," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 332-337, May.
    5. Schmidt, C. & Buxmann, Peter, 2011. "Outcomes and success factors of enterprise IT architecture management: empirical insight from the international financial services industry," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 48401, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    6. Maxime Bernaert & Geert Poels & Monique Snoeck & Manu Backer, 2016. "CHOOSE: Towards a metamodel for enterprise architecture in small and medium-sized enterprises," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 781-818, August.
    7. Pontus Johnson & Robert Lagerström & Per Närman & Mårten Simonsson, 2007. "Enterprise architecture analysis with extended influence diagrams," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 163-180, July.
    8. Alix Vargas & Llanos Cuenca & Andrés Boza & Ioan Sacala & Mihnea Moisescu, 2016. "Towards the development of the framework for inter sensing enterprise architecture," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 55-72, February.
    9. Heffernan, Gail M, 2003. "Path Dependence, Behavioral Rules, and the Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Change: The Case of the Automobile Industry," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 16(1), pages 45-62, March.
    10. Pavel Balabko & Alain Wegmann, 2006. "Systemic classification of concern-based design methods in the context of enterprise architecture," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 8(2), pages 115-131, February.
    11. Hossein Safari & Zahra Faraji & Setareh Majidian, 2016. "Identifying and evaluating enterprise architecture risks using FMEA and fuzzy VIKOR," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 475-486, April.
    12. Otto, Boris, 2012. "How to design the master data architecture: Findings from a case study at Bosch," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 337-346.
    13. Morteza Alaeddini & Sepideh Salekfard, 2013. "Investigating the role of an enterprise architecture project in the business-IT alignment in Iran," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 67-88, March.
    14. Ralph Foorthuis & Marlies Steenbergen & Sjaak Brinkkemper & Wiel A. G. Bruls, 2016. "A theory building study of enterprise architecture practices and benefits," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 541-564, June.
    15. Soomro, Zahoor Ahmed & Shah, Mahmood Hussain & Ahmed, Javed, 2016. "Information security management needs more holistic approach: A literature review," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 215-225.
    16. F. Goethals & W. Lemahieu & M. Snoeck & J. Vandenbulcke, 2006. "Management and enterprise architecture click," Post-Print hal-00322787, HAL.
    17. Alexander Becker & Thomas Widjaja & Peter Buxmann, 2011. "Value Potentials and Challenges of Service-Oriented Architectures," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 3(4), pages 199-210, August.
    18. Martin, Andrew & Dmitriev, Dmitry & Akeroyd, John, 2010. "A resurgence of interest in Information Architecture," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 6-12.
    19. Marie-Laure Salles-Djelic & Sigrid Quack, 2007. "Overcoming path dependency: path generation in open systems," Post-Print hal-01891993, HAL.
    20. Jallow, Abdou Karim & Demian, Peter & Anumba, Chimay J. & Baldwin, Andrew N., 2017. "An enterprise architecture framework for electronic requirements information management," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 455-472.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yiwei Gong & Marijn Janssen, 2023. "Why Organizations Fail in Implementing Enterprise Architecture Initiatives?," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 1401-1419, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Negin Banaeianjahromi & Kari Smolander, 2019. "Lack of Communication and Collaboration in Enterprise Architecture Development," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 877-908, August.
    2. Yiwei Gong & Marijn Janssen, 2023. "Why Organizations Fail in Implementing Enterprise Architecture Initiatives?," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 1401-1419, August.
    3. Law, Florence, 2018. "Breaking the outsourcing path: Backsourcing process and outsourcing lock-in," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 341-352.
    4. Michael Carolan, 2020. "Acting like an algorithm: digital farming platforms and the trajectories they (need not) lock-in," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(4), pages 1041-1053, December.
    5. Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2010. "The Place of Path Dependence in an Evolutionary Perspective on the Economic Landscape," Chapters, in: Ron Boschma & Ron Martin (ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Soomro, Zahoor Ahmed & Shah, Mahmood Hussain & Ahmed, Javed, 2016. "Information security management needs more holistic approach: A literature review," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 215-225.
    7. Chulhwan Chris Bang, 2015. "Information systems frontiers: Keyword analysis and classification," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 217-237, February.
    8. Narduzzo, Alessandro & Warglien, Massimo, 1996. "Learning from the Experience of Others: An Experiment on Information Contagion," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 5(1), pages 113-126.
    9. Beomjin Choi & T. S. Raghu & Ajay Vinzé & Kevin J. Dooley, 2019. "Effectiveness of standards consortia: Social network perspectives," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 405-416, April.
    10. Georg Erber, 1994. "Verdoorn's or Okun's Law?: Employment and Growth Experiences in OECD Countries, 1960-1993," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 98, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    11. Yunyao Li & Yanji Ma, 2022. "Research on Industrial Innovation Efficiency and the Influencing Factors of the Old Industrial Base Based on the Lock-In Effect, a Case Study of Jilin Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, October.
    12. Wenjun Guo & Wei Zhao & Min Min, 2022. "Operation Scale, Transfer Experience, and Farmers’ Willingness toward Farmland Transfer-In: A Case Study of Rice–Crayfish Cultivating Regions in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Mehrdad Vahabi, 1998. "The Relevance of the Marshallian Concept of Normality in Interior and in Inertial Dynamics as Revisited by G. SHACKLE and J. KORNAI," Post-Print hal-00629181, HAL.
    14. Kevin Lansing, 2009. "Time Varying U.S. Inflation Dynamics and the New Keynesian Phillips Curve," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 12(2), pages 304-326, April.
    15. Rosina Moreno & Ernest Miguélez, 2012. "A Relational Approach To The Geography Of Innovation: A Typology Of Regions," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 492-516, July.
    16. Kudic, Muhamed & Pyka, Andreas & Günther, Jutta, 2012. "Determinants of Evolutionary Change Processes in Innovation Networks – Empirical Evidence from the German Laser Industry," IWH Discussion Papers 7/2012, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    17. Sandra Silva & Aurora Teixeira, 2009. "On the divergence of evolutionary research paths in the past 50 years: a comprehensive bibliometric account," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 605-642, October.
    18. Jullien, Bruno, 2001. "Competing with Network Externalities and Price Discrimination," CEPR Discussion Papers 2883, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Derek Lemoine, 2024. "Innovation-Led Transitions in Energy Supply," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(1), pages 29-65, January.
    20. Vialle, Pierre & Song, Junjie & Zhang, Jian, 2012. "Competing with dominant global standards in a catching-up context. The case of mobile standards in China," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 832-846.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ininma:v:46:y:2019:i:c:p:1-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-information-management .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.