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Crossing the Line: Overcoming Knowledge Boundaries in Enterprise Transformation

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  • Ralf Abraham
  • Stephan Aier
  • Robert Winter

Abstract

Enterprise transformations are fundamental changes in an organization. Such changes typically affect different stakeholder groups (e.g., program managers, business managers) that exhibit a significant diversity regarding their members’ knowledge, goals, and underlying assumptions. Yet, creating shared understanding among diverse stakeholder groups in transformations is a main antecedent for success. The paper analyzes which properties of enterprise architecture models contribute to syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic capacities which helps to create shared understanding among stakeholder groups involved in enterprise transformation. The differences among stakeholder groups are assessed through the lens of knowledge boundaries, and enterprise architecture models are assessed through the lens of boundary objects. A research model is developed and empirically tested that describes which boundary object properties are required to overcome three progressively complex knowledge boundaries – syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic. The findings show which boundary object properties contribute to a respective capacity needed to overcome each of the three knowledge boundaries. Specifically, the results show that for (1) a syntactic capacity, concrete and modular enterprise architecture (EA) models are helpful; (2) a semantic capacity, visual EA model properties are relevant, and (3) a pragmatic capacity, broad stakeholder participation is conductive. Copyright Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Ralf Abraham & Stephan Aier & Robert Winter, 2015. "Crossing the Line: Overcoming Knowledge Boundaries in Enterprise Transformation," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 57(1), pages 3-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:binfse:v:57:y:2015:i:1:p:3-13
    DOI: 10.1007/s12599-014-0361-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Svyatoslav Kotusev & Sherah Kurnia & Rod Dilnutt & Rogier van de Wetering, 2024. "The Structuring of Enterprise Architecture Functions in Organizations," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 66(4), pages 465-488, August.
    2. 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.
    3. Teubner, Alexander & Stockhinger, Jan, 2020. "IT/IS strategy research and digitalization: An extensive literature review," ERCIS Working Papers 34, University of Münster, European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS).
    4. Mary Moore & Paul O’ Leary & Derek Sinnott & Jane Russell O’ Connor, 2019. "Extending communities of practice: a partnership model for sustainable schools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1745-1762, August.

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