Using Entropy´s Justificatory Knowledge for a Business Process Design Theory

Business processes and the data they generate are often complex, causing uncertainty for managers who have to take decisions based on this information. At this moment, a theoretical understanding of the complexity associated with these business processes and their data is absent. In this paper, we therefore suggest the concept of entropy from thermodynamics as justificatory knowledge for governing design science research efforts. This might lead to a set of prescriptive guidelines for creating business processes exhibiting a low degree of complexity. Our analysis shows that entropy indeed seems a viable concept for this purpose.