Deferred Action: Theoretical model of process architecture design for emergent business processes

E-Business modelling and ebusiness systems development assumes fixed company resources,structures, and business processes. Empirical and theoretical evidence suggests that company resourcesand structures are emergent rather than fixed. Planning business activity in emergent contexts requiresflexible ebusiness models based on better management theories and models . This paper builds andproposes a theoretical model of ebusiness systems capable of catering for emergent factors that affectbusiness processes. Drawing on development of theories of the ‘action and design’class the Theory ofDeferred Action is invoked as the base theory for the theoretical model. A theoretical model of flexibleprocess architecture is presented by identifying its core components and their relationships, and thenillustrated with exemplar flexible process architectures capable of responding to emergent factors.Managerial implications of the model are considered and the model’s generic applicability is discussed.