Government in both developed and developing countries strive to deliver effective and efficient services to its citizens. Hence the rapid increasing use of information technology to enhance service delivery. However, IT carries its own challenges, such as incompatibilities, lack of integration and lack of scalability. Many approaches, from both academic and professional domains have been employed to assess the challenges, for improvement purposes. Government of some countries have therefore introduced enterprise architecture (EA) to addressing IT challenges. Similarly, EA is influenced by many factors, making it not as easy as we are made to understand. Thus activity theory was applied to examine and understand how the challenges manifest into complexities, and in turn, have negative impacts on services delivery.The use of the activity theory (AT) helps to reveal that non-technical factors were completely ignored or sometimes considered to be less significant to the technical factors. Based on the interpretation of the findings, process, communication, lack of awareness, roles and responsibilities, actors' relationships, policies and people were uncovered as some of the influencing factors in the deployment of EA, in the Namibian government-wide Ministries. The communication between various business units and IT unit was influenced by those in authority as they make use of their power for individual interest. These types of legitimate actions through roles and responsibilities, contributed to the misalignments of business processes and activities in the deployment of EA in the Namibian government-wide Ministries. If both technical and nontechnical factors are not considered in the implementation of systems and technologies governments' service delivery will continue to be hampered as depicted in the framework presented in this article.
Despite impressive technical advances in tools and methodologies and the organizational insights provided by many years of academic and business researches, the underperformance of Information Technology (IT) remains.In the past and even today, organizations experience difficulty in managing technology, changing from system to system, implementing new technology, maintaining compatibility with existing technologies, and changing from one business process to another. These problems impact significantly on business performance and will continue to do so if not addressed. As a result, many organizations have deployed EA in an attempt to address these challenges. However, the design and development of EA has proven to be easier than its institutionalization. The study explored the development and implementation of EA to determine the factors, which are barriers to its institutionalization. Two case studies were conducted.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide through which the Zachman Framework can be used to address challenges and for successful implementation of enterprise architecture (EA) in an organisation that deploys it.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative research methods were followed, within which the case study approach was applied. The interpretive method was used in the analysis of the qualitative data.
Findings
Based on the findings, a method is proposed through which EA can be implemented in an organisation by using the Zachman Framework.
Originality/value
This is an original research work. Also, the paper has not been submitted to other journal for review and possible publication.
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AbstractPurpose -The paper was intended to demonstrate the use and order of a combined lenses of two theories in IS research. It helps to understand how theories could be adopted in the order of methodological value. The way data are collected, organised and analysed is influenced and shaped by the order of use of the underpinning theories. The importance of the order is to create consistency, predictability, and uniformity of analysis, which have impact on the findings. Design/methodology/approach -Review of literature, and teaching and supervision experiences were used in the approach. Findings -The result of a combined use of both ST and ANT in the same study has been less than expected. The application of theories helps exhume findings. This makes the order-of-use of application of the theories significant. Some studies applied ST before ANT, and vice versa. There has never been a model or framework which defines the order-of-use of the theories. It could be argued that it depend on the nature and objectives of the study. This paper focuses on order-of-use of combined theories in information systems studies. No organisation has total power to determine what the choice(s) of an actor will be in a particular situation. Actor and structure by virtue of their interaction recursively produces and reproduces, on the one hand and on another, the actor and structure enable and at the same time there are constraints. Originality/value -Both theories can be used as a way of thinking and speaking about the phenomena being studied and also, as a "lens" through which the data is viewed and interpreted.
Purpose
This study aims to examine how both activity theory (AT) and actor network theory (ANT) can be complementarily applied in information system (IS) studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The interpretivist approach was followed, within which the qualitative methods were used. Existing literature was gathered as data. The analysis was done by following the interpretive approach.
Findings
Based on the analysis and discussion, a guide for complementary use of both AT and ANT in IS studies was developed. The guide is divided into two parts, which helps to achieve the objectives of the study: complimentary use of AT and ANT in an IS study and order-of-use of both theories in a study, as depicted in the framework.
Originality/value
This study is original in that it has not previously been published in part or full. The results of the study is intended to be of value to both IS postgraduate students and researchers.
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