Rethinking strategy execution: an enterprise engineering approach

Purpose This study sought to understand how the success rate of strategy execution can be improved through the application of enterprise engineering principles and practices. Design/methodology/approach Considering the complexity/greyness of the study area and limited literature in the new domain of enterprise engineering application as it relates to implementation, a structured literature review (SLR) was used as the basis for a Delphi study. A two round Delphi study was conducted with experts in the field to determine and validate the critical dimensions in strategy execution. Thirty-one and twenty-five experts participated in Delphi Round 1 and 2 respectively. Findings There is a relationship between the design of an enterprise and seven specific themes that were synthesised in the study. These seven themes are aggregated to three dimensions – namely: (1) ontological essentials, (2) basic requirements and (3) consequential/resultant elements for effective strategy execution. By explaining the relationship of these dimensions, from an enterprise ontology perspective – this article demonstrates that most of the commonly cited causes of strategy execution challenges, for example performance culture, communication and the like, are in fact consequential and not ontological. Such insights position this study as a foundational piece on the application of enterprise ontology to understand and aid strategy execution. Originality/value This study extends existing knowledge about the influence of organisational design on strategy execution by presenting a new theoretical lens that challenges the conventional view of organisations. For practitioners and managers, this entails (1) clarity on specific elements to be considered for enhancing strategy execution frameworks and (2) visibility of consequential dimensions that can easily cloud the conceptualisation of the “to be” or desired framework.