Preface

摘要

Enterprise engineering is an emerging discipline that studies enterprises from an engineering perspective. It means that enterprises are studied as being purposely designed and implemented systems. Enterprise engineering is rooted in both the organizational sciences and the information system sciences. The rigorous integration of these traditionally disjoint scientific areas has become possible after the recognition that communication is a form of action. The operating principle of organizations is that actors enter into and comply with commitments, and in doing so bring about the business services of the enterprise. This important insight clarifies the view that that enterprises belong to the category of social systems, i.e., its active elements (actors) are social individuals (human beings). The unifying role of human beings makes it possible to address problems in a holistic way, to achieve unity and integration in bringing about any organizational change.