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International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management

Abstract

Research has been focused on technical approaches, leaving the behavioral and organizational aspects of metrics implementation underexplored. This study addresses this gap by adopting a job crafting perspective to examine challenges in metrics program implementation and how champions perceive and shape their roles to mitigate them. Based on a qualitative case study, we show that many difficulties arise from “soft factors,” including unclear or conflicting objectives, misaligned expectations across teams, and weak communication channels. Without a shared understanding of metrics and their use, stakeholders interpret results inconsistently, undermining decision-making and engagement. Metrics champions actively craft their roles to address these barriers, taking on responsibilities such as educator, interpreter, and evaluator of data and tools. They also act as bridge builders and conflict mitigators, fostering collaboration and easing tensions among diverse stakeholder groups. These tasks, cognitive, and relational forms of crafting interact, enabling champions to move from passive adopters of metrics to active agents shaping the effectiveness of metrics initiatives. By combining job crafting theory and championing, we offer a human-centered view of software metrics implementation and emphasize the need for training and organizational support.

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