Enterprises as systems: Context, boundaries, and practical implications

The focus of this paper is to describe the domain of enterprise analysis. This is accomplished through an exploration of relevant definitions, a discussion on boundaries, and a summary of practical implications for researchers and practitioners. Specifically, we consider the perspectives of stakeholders involved in small- and large-scale enterprise transformation, be they executives in corner offices or line workers on the factory floor. Anecdotes derived from research experiences with enterprise transformation provide insight into current enterprise research opportunities. To illustrate the domain of enterprise analysis, we identify three critical enterprise attributes – structure, function and value delivery – and investigate how these attributes can be used to influence boundary analysis, a discussion which provides researchers and practitioners the ability to use enterprise thinking as an invaluable tool to transform enterprises.