Towards a framework for managing business capability stability using enterprise architecture

Abstract

This study is situated in the information systems discipline, within the domain of enterprise architecture, where business capabilities are used to align an organisation's strategy with the people, processes, and technology that deliver it. Within this domain, the thesis aims at understanding and formalising the concept of capability stability in contexts of rapid technology disruption. The study begins by establishing why stability is a critical dimension of business capabilities for enterprise architecture research and practice, particularly when enterprises must continuously adapt without undermining their foundational strengths. The study then proceeds to construct a framework that defines capability stability concepts, relationships, and governance mechanisms in the enterprise architecture domain. The research is motivated by the need to provide organisations with a structured method for preserving essential capabilities while embracing innovation, ensuring that architecture practice can operate effectively in an environment characterised by accelerated change, complex ecosystems, and heightened stakeholder expectations.

This research responds to a call for more integrative approaches to enterprise architecture that account for shifting technological, organisational, and regulatory conditions. The study is framed by the pragmatic and interpretive paradigms: its ontological position accepts that multiple realities coexist because individuals perceive reality through different lenses, and its epistemological position holds that knowledge is socially constructed and validated through practical application. Design science research (DSR) — pragmatic by nature in its focus on building artefacts whose worth is judged by their utility in solving real-world problems — provides the methodological foundation. Drawing on sociotechnical systems theory and the principles of DSR, the work investigates issues such as what constitutes stability in business capabilities; how stability can be measured, monitored, and maintained over time; and whether a formalised stability framework can support enterprise architecture practice in managing both resilience and transformation.

Within a design science research approach, the study employs a literature review, thematic analysis, and framework synthesis to develop the stability management artefact. The framework was validated through engagement with industry practitioners across financial services, technology, and public sector organisations, who assessed its applicability, clarity, and value in guiding architectural decisionmaking. Participants confirmed that the framework captures the key dimensions of stability that are relevant to enterprise architecture, and that its concepts are transferable across different organisational and ecosystem contexts.

The study delivers three main outcomes. First, it formally defines capability stability as the capacity of a capability to remain in, or return to, a state of equilibrium when disruption occurs — its strength to endure disruption and to tolerate changes to the defined factors of its ecosystem without loss of its core function. Second, it develops the capability stability ecosystem conceptual model, which organises these factors into three interconnected layers: capability enablement (people, process, and technology), capability measurement (performance, measure, capacity, and engagement), and influencers and environmental context (governance and cost, within the external environmental context). Third, it constructs the Capability Stability Management Framework (CSMF), which embeds the ecosystem in a relational matrix that enables practitioners to diagnose potential instabilities and trace the cascading effects of change before disruption manifests. The findings confirm that stability is an emergent property of the ecosystem as a whole, and that it is measurable, manageable, and essential for maintaining enterprise coherence during continuous transformation.

In addition to addressing the scarcity of literature on capability stability in enterprise architecture, this research promotes stability-conscious architecture practices that balance agility with continuity. Both theoretical and practical applications of enterprise architecture stand to benefit from the proposed framework which supports a shared understanding of stability as a strategic architectural concern. By enabling enterprises and their stakeholders to align on stability objectives, the framework may assist in safeguarding value delivery while navigating continuous disruption.