The integration of external environments in the Enterprise Architectural efforts of an organization

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a widely applied practice and has been studied by many scholars since its introduction. Organizations increasingly adopt a collaborative approach that involves partnering with other organizations and individuals to become more flexible and innovative. Properly managing these collaborations requires integrating external environments into their EA, known as cross-organizational EA or Business Ecosystem Architecture (BEA). However, the current literature lacks sufficient exploration of this integration. This study addresses the gap by answering the main research question: How can organizations include their external environments in their EA efforts? This question is investigated through exploratory, qualitative research, utilizing eight semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Thematic analysis, incorporating open and axial coding, is used to analyze the data. The findings of this research reveal a difference in scope between EA and cross-organizational EA, affecting other architectural elements. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and the impact of an organization’s EA maturity level on cross-organizational EA. Finally, it identifies a key challenge in collaborating with parties that use different terminologies and standards.

Date of Award	1 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Supervisor	Maurice Pattij (Supervisor) & Rogier van de Wetering (Examiner)