Advancing Research in Enterprise Architecture - An Information Systems Paradigms Approach

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is an Information Systems (IS)-related domain aspiring to become a mature discipline underpinned by its own schools of thought. As with other emerging research areas, currently there is no widespread consensus on EA formal theoretical foundations and associated paradigms; thus, the EA researcher needs to find and tailor paradigms and research methods from related disciplines. As a possible solution contributing towards the maturing of the EA field, this paper advocates the application of social science-inspired qualitative research methods and paradigms typically engaged in the IS area to EA research. The paper starts by performing a critical review of the mainstream IS research assumptions, methods and paradigms in view of their suitability and expressiveness for the EA research endeavour according to ontological and epistemological assumptions specific to EA. Subsequently, the paper demonstrates the application of the reviewed IS research artefacts through a sample EA research strategy framework based on an IS-inspired reflective and iterative action research paradigm.