The Utilization of Information Systems Development Methodologies in Practice

Abstract

The objective of our research is to study people and their actions within an organizational context, namely whether and how system developers use Information Systems Development methodologies in practice. This article adds to the ongoing discussion about the practical use of ISD methodologies. Many prescriptive and normative textbooks as well as anecdotes exist, but there is little empirical documentation about the actual use of development methods. To contribute to the scientific documentation of methodology utilization, we provide here an empirically based study of the practical use of development methods in three projects within a large Danish software development company. Founded on a Grounded Theory analysis we identified five main categories of themes, which are related and have an effect on the use of ISD methodologies. These include 1) the extent to which a specific methodology is universally applicable, 2) the need for confidence of and between the parties involved, 3) the degree of the developer’s experience, 4) the developer’s wish for co-determination in the development process, and 5) the nature of the introduction process for a method. Our results confirm existing research in the field and offer new insights, especially with regard to the interplay and relationship of the different, identified themes.