Title: Towards enterprise architecture frameworks for complex evolving systems and organisations

Authors: Marielba Zacarias, Paulo Reis, H. Sofia Pinto

Addresses: Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal. ' Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal. ' INESC-ID, Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: Enterprise modelling frameworks are effective tools to communicate organisation|s structure, processes, and information systems. However, an increasingly interconnected, dynamic, and uncertain world is pressing to regard organisations and information systems as complex evolving systems. This paper: 1) argues the importance of using complexity principles in analysing, modelling and (re)designing organisations and its information systems; 2) discusses the conceptual implications and limitations of current enterprise modelling frameworks regarding complexity principles; 3) proposes an extension to overcome such limitations; 4) illustrates some benefits of this extension with a case study.

Keywords: enterprise architecture; complex systems; complexity principles; organisational design; modelling; information systems; enterprise modelling; organisational structure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJODE.2011.041163

International Journal of Organisational Design and Engineering, 2011 Vol.1 No.3, pp.229 - 246

Published online: 24 Jan 2015 *

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