On Applying the Theory of Structuration in Enterprise Architecture Design

Abstract

The processes used to develop Enterprise Architecture (EA) define a framework that details the infrastructure, specifications and technical requirements needed by an organization. Current EA approaches do not consider the behavioral patterns exhibited by stakeholders and the effects of change introduced by an EA. The failure to recognize and address the impact of stakeholder behavior as an input to, and result of, an EA manifests itself in the EA being either partially implemented or completely abandoned. This paper examines existing EA frameworks lack of recognition of stakeholder behavior as a first-class design consideration and proposes an approach incorporating ideas from the theory of structuration to address stakeholder behavior as a significant input to EA design. The contribution of this paper is the detailing of stakeholder behavior as an important ingredient in an EA and the utilization of aspects of organizational and behavioral theory as a lens to guide stakeholder communication and motivation as a part of the EA development process.