Explaining software developer acceptance of methodologies: a comparison of five theoretical models
- 1 December 2002
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
- Vol. 28 (12), 1135-1145
- https://doi.org/10.1109/tse.2002.1158287
Abstract
Many organizations attempt to deploy methodologies intended to improve software development processes. However, resistance by individual software developers against using such methodologies often obstructs their successful deployment. To better explain why individual developers accept or resist methodologies, five theoretical models of individual intentions to accept information technology tools were examined. In a field study of 128 developers in a large organization that implemented a methodology, each model explained significant variance in developers' intentions to use the methodology. Similar to findings from the tool adoption context, we found that, if a methodology is not regarded as useful by developers, its prospects for successful deployment may be severely undermined. In contrast to the typical pattern of findings in a tool context, however, we found that methodology adoption intentions are driven by: 1) the presence of an organizational mandate to use the methodology, 2) the compatibility of the methodology with how developers perform their work, and 3) the opinions of developers' coworkers and supervisors toward using the methodology. Collectively, these results provide surprising new insights into why software developers accept or resist methodologies and suggest what software engineering managers might do to overcome developer resistance.Keywords
This publication has 53 references indexed in Scilit:
- Drivers for software development method usageIEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 2000
- Object-oriented methods: current practices and attitudesJournal of Systems and Software, 1999
- The efficacy of matching information systems development methodologies with application characteristics – an empirical studyJournal of Systems and Software, 1999
- An industry analysis of developer beliefs about object-oriented systems developmentACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 1999
- Why are CASE tools not used?Communications of the ACM, 1996
- Pulling the Plug: Software Project Management and the Problem of Project EscalationMIS Quarterly, 1995
- Current practices in management information systemsInformation & Management, 1993
- An Empirical Evaluation of System Development MethodologiesInformation Resources Management Journal, 1990
- Adopting Systems Development Methods: An Exploratory StudyJournal of Management Information Systems, 1989
- Diffusion of Modern Software Practices: Influence of Centralization and FormalizationManagement Science, 1982