Stephan Aier
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Aier
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Stephan
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stephan.aier@unisg.ch
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+41 71 224 3360
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  • Publication
    The Evolution of Information Systems Architecture: An Agent-Based Simulation Model
    (Management Information Research Center; University of Minnesota, 2020-03)
    Haki, Kazem
    ;
    Beese, Jannis
    ;
    Aier, Stephan orcid-logo
    ;
    Winter, Robert orcid-logo
    Understanding how information systems (IS) architecture evolves and what outcomes can be expected from the evolution of IS architecture presents a considerable challenge for both research and practice. The evolution of IS architecture is marked by management’s efforts to keep local and short-term IS investments in line with enterprise-wide and long-term objectives, so they often employ coercive mechanisms to enforce enterprise-wide considerations on local actors. However, an organization is shaped by a multitude of heterogeneous local actors’ actions that pursue their own, sometimes conflicting, goals, norms, and values. This study offers a theory-informed simulation model that explores how IS architecture evolves and with what outcomes in various types of organizations. The simulation model is informed by institutional theory to capture various types of organizations that are characterized by different combinations of coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures, and by complex adaptive systems theory to capture the emergent character of IS architecture’s evolution. First, we outline the insights from simulation experiments. Then, building on the simulation model and theoretical insights, we discuss implications for both research and practice.
    Type: journal article
    Journal: MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems Quarterly (MISQ)
    Volume: 44
    Issue: 1
    URL: https://misq.org/the-evolution-of-information-systems-architecture-an-agent-based-simulation-model.html
    DOI: 10.25300/MISQ/2020/14494
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/112365
    Scopus© Citations 60
  • Publication
    Drivers and Effects of Information Systems Architecture Complexity: A Mixed-methods Study
    (Boğaziçi University, 2016-06)
    Beese, Jannis
    ;
    Aier, Stephan orcid-logo
    ;
    Haki, Kazem
    ;
    Aleatrati Khosroshahi, Pouya
    Today’s organizations deal with a significant complexity of their information systems (IS) architec-ture—a complex cobweb of heterogeneous IS with tight, mutual interrelations. With the constantly in-creasing number of IS along with the inherent complexity of the organizational context in which IS are embedded, organizations lose control of their IS architecture’s evolution. Through employing a se-quential mixed-methods research design, this study investigates the drivers and effects of IS architec-ture complexity. Based on the extant literature and on focus groups data, at the outset we develop a research model and derive its constitutive hypotheses. We subsequently test the research model follow-ing a partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modelling (SEM) with survey re-sponses from 249 IT managers and architects. While differentiating structural and dynamic complexi-ty, this study confirms a high degree of integration, large size, high diversity, strong dynamics, and, in particular, inadequate planning as the main drivers of IS architecture complexity. Further, this study affirms the negative effect of IS architecture complexity on the efficiency, agility, comprehensibility, and predictability of the IS.
    Type: conference paper
    URL: http://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2016_rp/74
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/104273