The integration components between enterprise information architecture and business strategy

Abstract

In many organizations, enterprise information architecture (EIA) and business strategy (BS) have been developed and implemented separately under a different umbrella. The integration of the two concepts is not in existence. Thus, the integration remains challenging and unexplained in some quarters, owing to the limited capacity to render performative know-how. Drawing on actor-network theory (ANT), a constructivist sociological theory, this article interrogates the challenges that hamper the integration of EIA with BS. Applying the translation tenet of ANT as a lens, three components, constructive, performative, and transformative are synthesized and proposed as the fundamental deterministic factors that influence the integration of EIA with BS in an organization. The components are synergistic from both business and architecture viewpoints. The components are a fresh perspective on the academic and business domains.