Attention Shaping and Software Risk--A Categorical Analysis of Four Classical Risk Management Approaches.

Author List: Lyytinen, Kalle; Mathiassen, Lars; Ropponen, Janne;
Information Systems Research, 1998, Volume 9, Issue 3, Page 233-255.
This paper examines software risk management in a novel way, emphasizing the ways in which managers address software risks through sequential attention shaping and intervention. Software risks are interpreted as incongruent states within a socio-technical model of organizational change that includes task, structure, technology, and actors. Such incongruence can lead to failures in developing or implementing the system and thus to major losses. Based on this model we synthesize a set of software risk factors and risk resolution techniques, which cover the socio-technical components and their interactions. We use the model to analyze how four classical risk management approaches--McFarlan's portfolio approach, Davis' contingency approach, Boehm's software risk approach, and Alter's and Ginzberg's implementation approach--shape managerial attention. This analysis shows that the four approaches differ significantly in their view of the manager's role and possible actions. We advise managers to be aware of the limitations of each approach and to combine them to orchestrate comprehensive risk management practices in a context. Overall, the paper provides a new interpretation of software risk management which goes beyond a narrow system rationalism by suggesting a contingent, contextual, and multivariate view of software development.
Keywords: Software Development;Information System Failure;Risk Management;Risk Management Technique;Socio-Technical Analysis;Content Analysis
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#44 0.174 approach analysis application approaches new used paper methodology simulation traditional techniques systems process based using proposed method present provides various
#264 0.172 risk risks management associated managing financial appropriate losses expected future literature reduce loss approach alternative mitigate failures failure cause mitigation
#232 0.126 software development product functionality period upgrade sampling examines extent suggests factors considered useful uncertainty previous called complementarities greater cost present
#163 0.088 critical realism theory case study context affordances activity causal key identifies evolutionary history generative paper events lead mechanisms evolution change
#252 0.087 management practices technology information organizations organizational steering role fashion effective survey companies firms set planning focus committees executives managing committee
#224 0.084 complexity task environments e-business environment factors technology characteristics literature affect influence role important relationship model organizational contingent actual map dimension
#122 0.077 attention utilization existing codification model received does limitations theories receiving literature paying causes additional building examine examination focusing technological initial
#188 0.057 processes interaction new interactions temporal structure research emergent process theory address temporally core discussion focuses area underlying deep structures way
#88 0.055 managers managerial manager decisions study middle use important manager's appropriate importance context organizations indicate field experience management major organizational results