Abstract

Effective management of software development efforts is one of the most challenging aspects within the IT discipline today. Literature has greatly extended our understanding of project management (PM) practices that enhance the likelihood of software development project success, such as the use of scope change control to manage project changes or structured walkthroughs to enhance product congruence with customer expectations. Nevertheless, a disconnect seems to exist between a software developer’s knowledge of valuable PM practices and their faithful use of those practices. The research model presented in this dissertation seeks to address key antecedents to a software developer’s faithful use of PM practices. The model builds on previous literature by clarifying the role of perceived usefulness in an individual’s usage decision, addressing temporal aspects of the intention to use – usage relationship, examining institutional factors that impact the actual use of a PM practice, and considering drivers of faithful versus ceremonial usage. The ultimate goal of this research is to provide guidance regarding the following question: what factors encourage a software developer to faithfully utilize PM practices?

Share

COinS