Investigating Determinants of Software Developers' Intentions to Follow Methodologies.

Author List: Hardgrave, Bill C.; Davis, Fred D.; Riemenschneider, Cynthia K.;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2003, Volume 20, Issue 1, Page 123-151.
Seeking to improve software development, many organizations attempt to deploy formalized methodologies. This typically entails substantial behavioral change by software developers away from previous informal practices toward conformance with the methodology. Developers' resistance to such change often results in failure to fully deploy and realize the benefits of the methodology. The present research draws upon theories of intention formation and innovation diffusion to advance knowledge about why developers accept or resist following methodologies. Results from a field study within a large organization indicate that developers' intentions are directly influenced by their perceptions of usefulness, social pressure, compatibility, and organizational mandate. This pattern of intention determinants is quite different from that typically observed in studies of information technology tool adoption, revealing several key differences between the domains of tool versus methodology adoption. Specifically, although organizational mandate had a significant effect on intentions, the strength of its direct influence was the lowest among the four significant constructs, and usefulness, compatibility, and social pressure all influenced intentions directly, above and beyond the effects of organizational mandate. The findings suggest, contrary to popular belief, that an organizational mandate is not sufficient to guarantee use of the methodology in a sustained manner.
Keywords: diffusion of innovations; innovation adoption; software development methodologies; technology acceptance model
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#99 0.166 perceived usefulness acceptance use technology ease model usage tam study beliefs intention user intentions users behavioral perceptions determinants constructs studies
#49 0.122 adoption diffusion technology adopters innovation adopt process information potential innovations influence new characteristics early adopting set compatibility time initial current
#42 0.109 perceived results study field individual support effects microcomputer pressure external usefulness test psychological obligations characteristics variables indicate existence availability investigating
#185 0.095 change organizational implementation case study changes management organizations technology organization analysis successful success equilibrium radical efforts initiatives managing resistance individuals
#145 0.093 differences analysis different similar study findings based significant highly groups popular samples comparison similarities non-is variety reveals imitation versus suggests
#220 0.087 research study different context findings types prior results focused studies empirical examine work previous little knowledge sources implications specifically provide
#294 0.086 development systems methodology methodologies information framework approach approaches paper analysis use presented applied assumptions based proposed described examines basis proposes
#173 0.076 effect impact affect results positive effects direct findings influence important positively model data suggest test factors negative affects significant relationship
#152 0.064 software development process performance agile processes developers response tailoring activities specific requirements teams quality improvement outcomes productivity improve fit maturity