Use of software systems development methods An empirical study in Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

The practices of software development methods and techniques have been widely reported in the information systems (IS) literature. However, a vast majority of the literature describes solely the use of well advocated methods and techniques, while a few studies are available that investigated influence of organisational attributes on method adoption. Moreover, experiences of method use within US organisations dominate IS literature, while reports from the Asian region are non-existent. Based on these rationales, a study was undertaken to examine the method adoption pattern of the public and private sector organisations in Brunei Darussalam. Out of 100 organisations, 36 (36%) participated in the survey. Two thirds (67%) of the participating organisations reported adoption of a systematic approach to software development by embracing a method. Even though it appears satisfactory for a newly established small country like Brunei, the use of individual methods, particularly the well known ones like structured methods, is less than expected. Statistical analysis reveals that method use is dependent on the type of organisation, and varied between matured and novice organisations. The implications of these findings are discussed. These findings are also compared with those of US, UK and Australian studies, and interesting differences are highlighted.