Advancing Enterprise Architecture Debt: A Work System Theory Perspective on Modernization and Resilience

Enterprise Architecture Debt (EAD) refers to the accumulation of architectural misalignments and suboptimal decisions that hinder an organization’s agility, performance, and long-term sustainability. While previous research has primarily approached EAD as an extension of technical debt, its broader organizational implications require a stronger theoretical foundation. This article extends prior work by systematically evaluating thirteen theories from the information systems domain to assess their suitability for conceptualizing EAD. Using a structured comparison framework, each theory is analyzed along key dimensions. In addition, this study introduces modernization and resilience as two critical outcome areas affected by EAD. These dimensions are essential for understanding how architectural decisions influence an organization’s capacity to adapt and evolve in a dynamic environment. The analysis confirms the strengths of Work System Theory (WST) in capturing the socio-technical nature of EAD, while also identifying complementary perspectives across alternative theories. The findings contribute to a more robust theoretical foundation for EAD, supporting the development of strategies for its identification, evaluation, and management.