Abstract

Recent research on managing software development has suggested that managing software development projects requires an ability to understand and balance the technological (e.g. tools, methodologies), economic (e.g. cost and effort estimations), and social bases (e.g. coordination strategies, goal structures, organizational climate) through which large software systems are developed (Boehm & Ross, 1989; Scacchi, 1984). Researchers have also noted that, whether a project structure is characterized by functional teams (i.e. design team, programmer team, and user group) or cross-functional teams (i.e. multiple teams, each comprised of designers, programmers, and users), project management's primary problems are the coordination of efforts and conflict resolution (Curtis et. al, 1988). The research questions addressed in this study demonstrate an inquiry into whether task interdependence and goal conflict each interact with managerial coordination strategies to influence software project success. Interactions among coordination strategies, task interdependence, and goal conflict will also be addressed. The choice of a specific coordination strategy is dependent upon managerial assessments of structural and task characteristics of the organizational context that are perceived to be affecting software development performance (Mantei, 1981; Henderson & Lee, 1992; Kim & Umanath, 1993). The model for this research is shown in Figure 1 below.

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