Modeling organizational structures in the realm of enterprise modeling: Limitations of the current paradigm and prospects of multilevel language architectures

Abstract

Given the notable role that organizational structures play in different analyses, modeling constructs for organizational structures are present in a number of enterprise modeling approaches. In this paper, we point out limitations of modeling approaches for expressing organizational structure, especially with regards to (1) expressing domain characteristics, and (2) suitability of current modeling approaches for addressing typical analysis questions. As a response, we discuss how a promising novel modeling paradigm, called multilevel modeling, can be used to address these limitations. We use the organizational structure of universities as a case scenario.