THE BUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT MODEL (BIAM)

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THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

EE is not a new field, but neither is it a discipline yet (if compared to electrical engineering or civil engineering). Both enterprise engineering and organisation(al) engineering are practicedbased and aims at studying enterprises in a multidisciplinary and engineering-driven way, but often without much scientific foundation (Dietz, 2006).
EA and the word ‘architecture’ exemplify the inconsistency in definition. According to Kappelman et al. (201 0) the most common understanding of the term ‘architecture’ for an enterprise, is collection of artefacts (models, descriptions etc.) to define the as-is model of the enterprise. Bernard (2005) on the other hand, equates EA with the process of defining standards and creating as-is models, whereas Kappelman (2007) avers that EA creates and use a shared language to discuss and document important aspects of the enterprise (also see section 4.3.2.1 for other EA benefits/means). According to Sidorova & Kappelman (201 0) the presence of a multiplicity of definitions suggests that EA is a highly complex dynamic construct that encapsulates both technical and social dimensions, the present and future, as well as the logical and physical aspects of the enterprise. Rather than focusing on the disparities that exist, this study acknowledges the current deficiencies in theoretical foundations, definitions and business benefits and search for common grounds in the pursuit for consistent enterprise design and alignment. To illustrate the domain, Figure 1 highlights contributing theories, root disciplines and emerging disciplines (EE, EA and EO) that create the body of knowledge for enterprise design and alignment. The common aspect in the three emerging disciplines is the enterprise, which will be defined next.

RATIONALE FOR THIS STUDY

There is a need to enhance the OM concept by addressing the OM deficiencies (specifically pertaining to process reuse and data sharing), by using knowledge from the existing businessIT alignment knowledge base.
From the factors discussed in the previous sections, the rationale is summarised as follows:
• Fragmentation exists in the emerging ~disciplines (EE, EA and EO), which creates difficulties in reusing knowledge from the existing knowledge base. In addition, numerous alignment approaches exist, each with its own alignment intent, scope and means for alignment.
• Enterprise alignment approaches differ in alignment scope. Most of the alignment approaches still focus on business-IT alignment. Therefore, the main focus of this study is also confined to business-IT alignment (see Figure 3, constructs in light yellow).
• There is a need to combine elements from various alignment approaches. Although practitioners already combine elements from different alignment approaches, there is a lack of theoretical backing about these combinations.
• One of the business-IT alignment approaches, called the foundation for execution approach, provides an operating model (OM). Due to its inherent deficiencies, there is a need to enhance the OM within the context of business-IT alignment.
• Given that many enterprises have already seized the opportunity of sharing data (Hoogervorst, 2009; O’Kane, Radcliffe, & White, 2012; Smith & Fingar, 2003), this study focused on deficiencies pertaining to the identification of process reuse opportunities.
The thesis statement is that the operating model concept, as part of a business-IT alignment approach, can be enhanced with a process reuse identification framework, when a business-IT alignment contextualisation is used.

PART A: INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
1.3 RATIONALE FOR THIS STUDY
1.4 THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS, OBJECTIVES AND OUTPUTS
1.5 THE SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
1.6 SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS
1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.8 STRUCTURE OF THIS THESIS
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 RESEARCH PARADIGMS
2.3 RESEARCH DESIGNS
2.4 METHODS FOR DATA COLLECTION
2.5 PARADIGM FOR THIS THESIS
2.6 THESIS RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS FOR DATA COLLECTION
2.7 ETHICAL PROCEDURES
2.8 CONCLUSION
PART B: THE BUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT MODEL (BIAM) 
3. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 ALIGNMENT AND GOVERNANCE
3.3 ALIGNMENT APPROACHES
3.4 OTHER ALIGNMENT APPROACHES
3.5 CONCLUSION
4 THE BUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT MODEL (BIAM)
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 THE BIAM CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
4.3 THE PROPOSED BUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT MODEL (SIAM)
4.4 CONCLUSION
5. USING THE BUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT MODEL (BIAM) 
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 BIAM AND THE ZACHMAN APPROACH
5.3 BIAM AND THE OPEN GROUP APPROACH
5.4 CONCLUSION
PART C: THE PRIF
6. OPERATING MODEL DEFICIENCIES
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 FOUNDATION FOR EXECUTION APPROACH RE-VISITED
6.3 THE RESEARCH PROCESS
6.4 RESULTS
6.5 INTERPRETATION AND SUMMARY OF RESULTS
6.6 PROBLEM-AWARENESS AND SUGGESTION
6.7 CONCLUSION
7 REQUIREMENTS TO IDENTIFY PROCESS REUSE OPPORTUNITIES
7.1 INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM DEFINITION
7.2 A BIAM CONTEXTUALISATION OF THE FOUNDATION FOR EXECUTION APPROACH
7.3 ADDITIONAL OM DEFICIENCIES
7.4 REQUIREMENTS TO ADDRESS OM DEFICIENCIES
7.5 CONCLUSION
8 INTERACTION MODEL EVALUATION
8.1 INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM DEFINITION
8.2 A BIAM CONTEXTUALISATION OF THE ESSENCE OF OPERATION APPROACH
8.3 COMPATIBILITY OF TWO ALIGNMENT APPROACHES
8.4 EVALUATION METHOD
8.5 INTERACTION MODELS AND EVALUATION RESULTS
8.6 CONCLUSION
9. THE PRIF METHOD, MECHANISMS AND PRACTICES
9.1 INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM DEFINITION
9.2 THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
9.3 RESULTS- NEW METHOD, MECHANISMS AND PRACTICES
9.4 CONCLUSION
10. PROCESS REUSE IDENTIFICATION FRAMEWORK EVALUATION
10.1 INTRODUCTION
10.2 EVALUATION METHOD
10.3 RESULTS
10.4 INTERPRETATION AND SUMMARY OF RESULTS
10.5 CONCLUSION
PART D: SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION AND CONCLUSION
11. CONTRIBUTION
11.1 INTRODUCTION
11.2 THE BUSINESS-IT ALIGNMENT MODEL (BIAM) CONTRIBUTIONS (RESEARCH QUESTION 1)
11.3 THE PROCESS REUSE IDENTIFICATION FRAMEWORK (PRIF) CONTRIBUTIONS (RESEARCH QUESTION 2)
11.4 MAIN CONTRIBUTION OF THIS STUDY
11.5 CONCLUSION
12. CONCLUSIONS
12.1 INTRODUCTION
12.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
12.3 FURTHER RESEARCH
12.4 REFLECTIONS
12.5 CLOSURE
13. REFERENCES

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