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Software development behavior in small organizations

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Date Issued:
2001
Summary:
As the software industry continues to mature, best practices have been defined to improve the quality and productivity of software development. Adoption rates of these practices are better understood for large organizations as compared to small standalone organizations. Based on surveys and interviews, this study analyzes the utilization of software development best practices by small software organizations, and the factors that influence different levels of adoption. The results demonstrate that context is the main determinant of adoption, driven by competitive pressures, organizational incentives, and prior exposure to best practices. Consulting firms were influenced by their contractual relationship with the client, which led to more focus on deliverables. Traditional product companies emphasized code management practices, though their focus on domain expertise detracted from software development best practices. Finally, startups were characterized by experienced senior managers who balanced quality assurance against pressures for a quick time to market release.
Title: Software development behavior in small organizations.
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Name(s): Chaudhry, Muhammed Zubair.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Levow, Roy B., Thesis advisor
Coulter, Neal S., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2001
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 95 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: As the software industry continues to mature, best practices have been defined to improve the quality and productivity of software development. Adoption rates of these practices are better understood for large organizations as compared to small standalone organizations. Based on surveys and interviews, this study analyzes the utilization of software development best practices by small software organizations, and the factors that influence different levels of adoption. The results demonstrate that context is the main determinant of adoption, driven by competitive pressures, organizational incentives, and prior exposure to best practices. Consulting firms were influenced by their contractual relationship with the client, which led to more focus on deliverables. Traditional product companies emphasized code management practices, though their focus on domain expertise detracted from software development best practices. Finally, startups were characterized by experienced senior managers who balanced quality assurance against pressures for a quick time to market release.
Identifier: 9780493218168 (isbn), 12787 (digitool), FADT12787 (IID), fau:9664 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): College of Engineering and Computer Science
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2001.
Subject(s): Computer software--Development
Associations, institutions, etc
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12787
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.