Research findings

Paper 1

Title: The Enterprise Architect profession: A literature survey Authors: Terese Besker and Rolf Olsson Supervisor: Kalevi Pessi Publication: No publication (yet) The abstract of this paper reads: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a mapping and understanding on how scholars depict the Enterprise Architect as a profession. In addition, how researchers describe the matters related to the profession and what kind of subjects that is provided for discussion in relation to the Enterprise Architect as a profession. The method used in this literature survey is based on studying available publications in general but also studying the Basket of Eight within in the Association of Information Systems (AIS) senior Scholars’ journals. For each identified publication, five topics regarding the Enterprise Architect as a profession was analyzed; the role, the competence, the responsibility/empowerment/authorization, pro/reactiveness approach and mindset. Other analyzing criteria for the publications are the distribution in time, type of publications and domain inherency. The result of this survey shows that although a good deal of research has been done in the Enterprise Architectural field, this analysis points out that not have much been written about the Enterprise Architect as profession. This study depicts a requisite for further research in the field of the Enterprise Architect as a profession. By this learning, we encourage an opening for further research. Paper 1 is the result of an initial literature survey with the aim of studying how scholars depict the Enterprise Architect as a profession. The study described in this paper is based on an inventory of the existing academic literature within the Enterprise Architect profession’s work field. The returned result is mapped and presented with different groupings and contexts. The surveyed five topics of the paper are based on the research model described in figure 10. Table 1. Research topics and summary of findings in paper 1. This paper is summarized by the observation that limited research has been performed in the field of studying the Enterprise Architect profession but by studying the date of the surveyed publications, an increasing trend can be observed in a growing number of publications in present time. Paper 2 Title: The Enterprise Architect profession: An empirical study Authors: Terese Besker, Rolf Olsson, and Kalevi Pessi Publication: Posted to ECIME 2015 on April 20, 2015. The abstract of this paper reads: The field of Enterprise Architecture (EA) is rapidly evolving why there is a need for increased professionalization of the discipline. Therefore, understanding the profession of the Enterprise Architects in enterprise transformation and development becomes important. However, there are very few empirically based studies which have reflected these professionals within their work domain of an every-day business. The purpose of this paper is to increase our understanding of how the Enterprise Architect’s practice their profession and in addition, to study how these professionals describe their occupation. Five different topics are of particular interest to portraying the occupation of the Enterprise Architect's profession; the role, competence, power, style of acting and main focus. The study is based on interviews with Enterprise Architects in ten large Swedish organizations. In conclusion, the architect is considered as a proud individualist with an entrepreneurial vein who endeavor consideration, reflection and the guidance capability. Paper 2 concludes the current dimensions of the Enterprise Architect as profession, revealed from interviews with 10 Enterprise Architects in 10 large Swedish organizations considered from the analytical lens of the role, competence, power, style of acting and main focus from this occupation. Table 2. Research topics and summary of findings in paper 2. Paper 2 is summarized by the observation that the Enterprise Architect’s main ambition at work is to promote EA where the architects uphold the communication skills as key to success in their missionary work to promote the EA’s strategic capability. The study interprets this as an indication of that the Enterprise Architect profession is still under development.