Assessing the Influence of Organizational Culture and Leadership on the Effectiveness of Enterprise Architecture in Digital Transformation

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a key enabler of digital transformation when IT capabilities are aligned with business strategies. Its efficacy, however, does not rely on technical frameworks alone, but it is determined as well by organizational culture and leadership. This research explores how organizational culture and leadership can shape the success of EA in the digital transformation. By combining the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM) and Sociotechnical Systems Theory, this research examines how cultural values, leadership patterns, and organizational behaviors affect EA implementation. In a mixed-method study involving qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys, 450 IT industry professionals were sampled and provided valid responses to 400 questions. Through regression analysis, organizational culture has a significant influence on the adoption and integration of EA (R2 = 0.9269), and leadership is the factor that perfectly correlates with digital transformation strategies (R2 = 1). The results highlight that organizations with a high innovation and leadership culture devoted to transformation achieve superior alignment of IT and business objectives, resulting in successful digital transformation outcomes. The conclusion of this research provides recommendations applicable in creating a favorable organizational culture and climate of leadership to ensure the effectiveness of EA in creating digital change.