Enterprise Architecture as conceptual support framework for small to medium enterprise growth : a South African study

Abstract

Purpose: Successful small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are important contributors to a country’s economic success and job creation. Numerous studies have attempted to understand SME growth, but holistic models for explaining and supporting SME growth are lacking. The purpose of this study is to contribute towards the support of SME growth with enterprise architecture (EA) concepts and frameworks as basis. This study aims to position EA as a basis for understanding SME growth, use EA principles to identify patterns of focus on organisational elements and concepts during growth and, based on the patterns of focus, identify EA framework elements and concepts for a conceptual support framework for SME growth. The study continues to construct a conceptual support framework and execution methodology for SME growth. Main methodology: A qualitative empirical study with a multiple case study approach. Findings: As representation of the holistic organisation and all its underlying elements, EA serves as suitable platform to model how organisations grow and to model the impact of various existing growth theories on the organisation. Across participating SMEs, the study indicates patterns of focus on EA-related organisational elements and concepts during growth. Based on these patterns of focus, support programmes and guidance to other organisations are possible. An understanding of the complete organisation, the underlying elements and the interaction of the elements is relevant for SME growth, and EA is a feasible platform from which to construct a conceptual support framework and implementation methodology for SME growth. EA as a discipline, represented through a proposed support framework, provides a platform from which to direct support and guide execution towards organisational success.