Investigating the Impacts of Managerial Turnover/Succession on Software Project Performance.

Author List: Abdel-Hamid, Tarek K.;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 1992, Volume 9, Issue 2, Page 127-144.
The persistent turnover problem in the software field combined with the tendency of managerial succession to promote instability make this phenomenon of crucial importance to the student as well as the practitioner of software project management. The focus of most studies to date has been on the use of aggregated statistical data to answer macro questions regarding aggregates of organizations. On the other hand, there is a serious lack of micro-empirical analysis of turnover/succession and its impacts on managerial performance. This paper reports the results of a simulation-based laboratory study to investigate the impacts of managerial turnover/succession on software project performance. Specifically, the study examines the staffing and cost/schedule trade-off choices of successor project managers, and compares them with the choices made by managers who run their projects from start to finish without interruption. The results indicate that managerial turnover/succession can lead to a discernible (albeit unintended) shift in cost/schedule trade-off choices, affecting staff allocations and ultimately project performance in terms of both cost and duration.
Keywords: managerial succession; managerial turnover; software project management; software project staffing.
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#88 0.146 managers managerial manager decisions study middle use important manager's appropriate importance context organizations indicate field experience management major organizational results
#223 0.126 insurance companies growth portfolios intensity company life portfolio industry newly vulnerable terms composition operating implemented factors asset focus disaggregation choices
#135 0.116 project projects development management isd results process team developed managers teams software stakeholders successful complex develop contingencies problems greater planning
#93 0.107 performance results study impact research influence effects data higher efficiency effect significantly findings impacts empirical significant suggest outcomes better positive
#139 0.106 project projects failure software commitment escalation cost factors study problem resources continue prior escalate overruns taken failing troubled sunk fail
#82 0.098 case study studies paper use research analysis interpretive identify qualitative approach understanding critical development managerial elements exploring points positivist presents
#42 0.091 perceived results study field individual support effects microcomputer pressure external usefulness test psychological obligations characteristics variables indicate existence availability investigating
#94 0.053 effort users advice ras trade-off recommendation agents difficulty decision make acceptance product loss trade-offs context perceived influence laboratory reasons consumers
#109 0.051 career human professionals job turnover orientations careers capital study resource personnel advancement configurations employees mobility jobs management individuals pay non-it