Software Industry Research Articles

Resilience as a shield: self-efficacy and well-being in the face of exploitative leadership

PurposeEmployees' well-being has emerged as a critical issue in the software industry. Therefore, our study examines the detrimental effect of exploitative leadership on subjective well-being directly and through self-efficacy. We also investigate the buffering effect of resilience on this relationship using the conversation of resources (COR).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 585 software industry professionals via two-way self-administered questionnaires. The proposed hypotheses were tested using Process Model 5.FindingsOur study confirms the negative effect of exploitative leadership on subjective well-being, both directly and indirectly via self-efficacy. Furthermore, the findings indicate that resilience reduces the negative effect of exploitative leadership on subjective well-being.Research limitations/implicationsOur study contributes to the existing literature on exploitative leadership by demonstrating its detrimental effects on employee’s subjective well-being. It also provides a more nuanced understanding of the unexplored relationship between exploitative leadership and subjective well-being by explaining the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating role of resilience.Practical implicationsPolicymakers and human resource practitioners may design training and development programs to promote morality and ethical behaviors. This will enhance employees' subjective well-being, aligning with SDG 3’s goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.Originality/valueOur study provides a novel perspective by expanding the nomological network of exploitative leadership to include lower self-efficacy and subjective well-being. It also extends our understating of how resilient employees sustain their well-being under exploitative leadership.

Competition in Collaboration: The Problem of (Mis)Aligned Perception

Despite the benefits associated with interorganizational collaborations, they often fail to meet partnering firms’ expectations. A common issue is competitive tension between partners. Yet, competitive tension is a well-known issue in collaboration, such that partners should be able to set expectations and manage it accordingly. Why, then, does competitive tension often derail collaborations? We suggest that whether partners perceive each other as competitors is a key but understudied aspect of how competition shapes collaboration. We hypothesize that misaligned perception—one firm perceiving the other as a competitor but not vice versa—leads to misplaced expectations about partner behavior and collaboration performance and subsequent failure to meet those expectations. We test our theory in the U.S. software industry and find that collaborations characterized by misaligned perception are less likely to be renewed, even after controlling for partner quality and market overlap (i.e., objective competitive tension). Our examination of the social structure surrounding collaborations illustrates how the perceptions of third parties can moderate the effect of misaligned perception. We examine mechanisms and find that misalignment is linked to litigation between partners and lower collaboration performance. We contribute to the literatures on interfirm collaboration and on perception in social networks.

R as a Game-Changer in Clinical Trial Reporting: Best Practices for TLF Compliance

In clinical trial reporting, the generation of Tables, Listings, and Figures (TLFs) is crucial for data presentation and regulatory submission. Historically, SAS has been the predominant tool for creating TLFs; however, with the increasing adoption of open-source software in the pharmaceutical industry, R has emerged as a viable alternative. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to creating TLFs using R, focusing on the required R packages, strategies for handling missing values, and methods for rounding numeric values. By leveraging R's capabilities, organizations can achieve greater flexibility and efficiency in their reporting processes, potentially reducing costs associated with software licensing and training. Additionally, the integration of R in clinical workflows can facilitate real-time data analysis and enhance decision-making, positioning R as a powerful tool for the pharmaceutical industry’s evolving landscape. This work demonstrates how R can be effectively used for clinical trial reporting, offering significant advantages compared to traditional tools. Keywords: R packages, ggplot2, dplyr,R Shiny for clinical trials, R in clinical trials, Adverse event tables, Data visualization, Data preparation, Regulatory submission, Tables, Listings, and Figures (TLFs)

Integration of User Experience and Agile Software Development: A Systematic Literature Review

New methods and best practices are being used to enhance the software lifecycle because of the recent expansion of the software industry. Agile development approaches have also been widely used, and they have positively affected people's lives and the operations of enterprises. Although agility makes working with developers easier, it does not offer enough chances to collaborate with users. In early Agile formulations, User Experience (UX) was not recognized as a distinct part of software development. The tricky part is figuring out where to integrate them and how to merge them so that the two parts interact. Combining user experience with Agile approaches is the subject of this research's proposed systematic literature review (SLR). This research found ten relevant studies highlighting the growing interest and research in merging these two critical areas of software engineering. In conclusion, this research found some papers or studies integrating user experience into Agile methodologies. Many techniques are used, and all studies have different approaches to integrate them.

The Role and Evolution of Frontend Developers in the Software Development Industry

The role of frontend developers has undergone significant transformation in the software development industry, evolving from basic HTML coding to advanced, dynamic web applications. In the early stages of the internet, frontend development was primarily concerned with static websites, but with the rise of more interactive, user-centered web design, frontend developers have become critical to delivering engaging and functional digital experiences. This paper explores the evolution of frontend development, focusing on the technologies and methodologies that have shaped the role, including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and modern frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue. The research also discusses the key responsibilities of frontend developers today, such as UI/UX design, responsive web design, and performance optimization. Furthermore, the paper identifies key challenges, such as staying up-to-date with rapidly evolving technologies, ensuring cross-device compatibility, and optimizing web performance. By reviewing the advancements in frontend development and the growing importance of user-centric design, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the current and future role of frontend developers in the software industry. The research also highlights how the ongoing evolution of web technologies will continue to shape the demand for skilled frontend professionals.

Research on the Model and Application of Data Asset Value Evaluation

In the era of digital economy, the marketization of data factor has become an important feature, attracting the attention of governments and scholars. As of January 1, 2024, data resources have been formally included in the financial statements and become an important asset of enterprises. This paper starts from the dimension of value formation of data assets and takes the income approach as the core, closely combines the characteristics of the application software industry, and builds a targeted data asset value assessment model. At the same time, the optimization model is applied to the excess return of X Company's data assets, thereby evaluating the value of X Company's data assets.

Action Research Approach to Analysis of Teaching of Blockchain Web 3.0 Application Based on MACH Architecture

This study investigates the integration of agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, into the teaching of microservices, API-first, cloud-native, and headless (MACH) architecture within a university setting. Using an action research framework, we see the impact of agile approaches on student learning and the practical application of MACH principles. The findings reveal that agile methodologies not only enhance students’ technical proficiency, but also foster collaborative and iterative learning environments that simulate real-world software development. Over a 15-week course, students applied agile techniques to design, build, and deploy microservices-based systems, benefiting from structured yet adaptable sprints that broke complex tasks into manageable stages. Quantitative assessments showed substantial improvements in knowledge and confidence, while qualitative feedback emphasized the hands-on, project-based learning’s alignment with industry practices. This research underscores the potential of agile frameworks to enhance education in emerging software architectures, offering insights into how higher education can align more closely with the dynamic needs of the software industry.

Applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Software Industry

The increasing demands on software development are putting serious pressure on its pace. To assist software developers, an increasing number of tools powered by generative artificial intelligence are being introduced. This paper aims to investigate how the use and integration of generative AI have evolved among professionals in the software industry, based on a study involving 104 individuals working in Bulgarian software companies. Data was collected in April 2024 through an online questionnaire with four separate groups of questions related to the use of generative AI at work. The study found that 2/3 of the respondents use generative AI actively in their daily work. They highly value the practical benefits of this type of technology, which most often consist of automating routine activities, accessing information quickly, generating initial code, and writing documentation. As a result of these benefits, developers are increasingly moving towards using generative AI at the expense of professional support platforms. The main benefits they cite include faster solutions, more specific and relevant answers, and significantly shorter time to reach the desired outcome.

Formal Verification of Code Conversion: A Comprehensive Survey

Code conversion, encompassing translation, optimization, and generation, is becoming increasingly critical in information systems and the software industry. Traditional validation methods, such as test cases and code coverage metrics, often fail to ensure the correctness, completeness, and equivalence of converted code to its original form. Formal verification emerges as a crucial methodology to address these limitations. Although numerous surveys have explored formal verification in various contexts, a significant research gap exists in pinpointing appropriate formal verification approaches to code conversion tasks. This paper provides a detailed survey of formal verification techniques applicable to code conversion. This survey identifies the strengths and limitations of contemporary adopted approaches while outlining a trajectory for future research, emphasizing the need for automated and scalable verification tools. The novel categorization of formal verification methods provided in this paper serves as a foundational guide for researchers seeking to enhance the reliability of code conversion processes.

The Need for Integrating Cloud-Based Project Management Tools in IT Curricula: Insights from Sri Lanka’s Software Industry

Cloud-based project management software is heavily used in the software development industry, with cloud computing advancements. As such software usage is becoming popular in the industry, empirical evidence suggests that investigating the efficient integration of cloud-based project management software into Information Technology degree programmes is crucial in bridging the gap between university education and industry requirements. Therefore, this mixed-method study was carried out in Sri Lanka, where the software development industry is a significant player in the service sector. To analyse the current uptake of such software, 102 firms were given a closed-ended questionnaire. The fact that 93% of respondents are using these tools and that they specified that their use is crucial for project success suggests that they should be integrated into the academic curricula of IT degrees. Thirteen interviews were also done with industry professionals. The thematic analysis showed that professionals who had studied using cloud-based project management software in their degrees found it easier to adopt them in the workplace than those who had not, suggesting the need for integrating them into academic curricula. Effective integration strategies included offering cloud-based project management tools as practical components required for use in projects, industry-led workshops, and online courses as assignments. These results can help higher education establishments improve their curricula, including the latest industry practices, to bridge the gap between academic and industry requirements.

The Influence of Supportive Organizational Climate on Employees’ Innovation Behavior: The Mediating Role of Team Engagement and Work Engagement

This study aims to explore, in the Chinese software and information technology services industry, whether a supportive organizational climate will directly affect employees’ innovation behavior and indirectly affect it through employees’ team engagement and work engagement. So, this study used quantitative research methods, collected 613 questionnaires in six provinces and cities in China, and analyzed data using SPSS26.0 and AMOS23.0. Finally, the result shows that a supportive organizational climate has a direct positive influence on employees’ innovation behavior, and has a positive indirect influence on employees’ innovation behavior through team engagement and work engagement, and the mediating effect is more than a direct effect. This article not only further reinforces the foundations of social cognitive theory and self-determination theory, but also fills the research gap on employees’ innovation behavior in the Chinese software and information technology service industry: provides leaders with support on how to create a supportive organizational climate to promote employees’ innovation behavior, and assists employees in understanding how to stimulate their innovation behavior.

Inverse Garment and Pattern Modeling with a Differentiable Simulator

AbstractThe capability to generate simulation‐ready garment models from 3D shapes of clothed people will significantly enhance the interpretability of captured geometry of real garments, as well as their faithful reproduction in the digital world. This will have notable impact on fields like shape capture in social VR, and virtual try‐on in the fashion industry. To align with the garment modeling process standardized by the fashion industry and cloth simulation software, it is required to recover 2D patterns, which are then placed around the wearer's body model and seamed prior to the draping simulation. This involves an inverse garment design problem, which is the focus of our work here: Starting with an arbitrary target garment geometry, our system estimates its animatable replica along with its corresponding 2D pattern. Built upon a differentiable cloth simulator, it runs an optimization process that is directed towards minimizing the deviation of the simulated garment shape from the target geometry, while maintaining desirable properties such as left‐to‐right symmetry. Experimental results on various real‐world and synthetic data show that our method outperforms state‐of‐the‐art methods in producing both high‐quality garment models and accurate 2D patterns.

Optimising acceptability using a user-centred design approach of a robotic software in Industry 4.0: A case study

While robotics and collaborative robotics are becoming increasingly commonplace in industry, operators do not always have full control over these tools. The aim of our robotics software is to give operators back the power to act. A user-centered design approach (UCD, ISO 9241-210, 2019), through four steps, has therefore been put in place within Industry 4.0. The first study aims to understand and specify the context of use through three objectives: to understand the organizational context in which the robotic software is to be designed and implemented, to characterize the end users via primary personas, and to take an interest in the operators' work in order to predict likely future situations and guide the development of the new work tool. The second study aims to specify user requirements using a card sort based on different criteria (ergonomic, UX). The third study presents the design solutions for version 2 of the robotics software. The fourth study evaluates and compares the practical acceptability (UX, usefulness, usability, mental load) and social acceptability (intent to use) of the first and second versions of the robotic software. Our results show, among other things, a significant improvement in acceptability for the second version of the software, suggesting greater acceptability of this technology thanks to the UCD approach.

The impact of current academic knowledge on modern human resource practitioners’ performance within the software industry of Pakistan- Future of HR work & the need to Reskill

This research endeavors to analyze the effect of latest HR practices on the effectiveness of current HR Managers’ performance in the software industry of Pakistan. The latest quality HR practices (i.e. Technical recruitment & selection, HR Technology, HR Marketing, Dynamic Workforce & Performance Mgmt., Psychology & Stress Mgmt., Green HRM and Workspace Spirituality, Celebration & Recognition Mgmt. and Strategic HR Partnership & Organization Development) have been apportioned to contemplate the effectiveness of current HR knowledge model and its significance in HRs’ professional life. A structured questionnaire is employed as an instrument for data collection. Sample size of 120 employees has been fetched working in HR department of different software companies in Pakistan. The data has been analyzed through Multiple Regressions, Cronbach alpha, demographic and descriptive statistics that are used for various analyses by the help of statistical software SPSS. It highlights a judgmental analysis on the significance of redesigning the current HR knowledge model with modern add-on HR aspects for coping with the challenges that HR students are facing in their professional life presently. Some recommendations have been cited by the author for real-time contribution in HR sector and for escalating the performance professionally. Moreover, this research would accommodate the selected software service sector companies that are operating in developing countries like Pakistan and working on the significance of service industry. The outcomes will be useful for the academicians, researchers, HR practitioners, planners and policy makers who are involved in the concerned area.

Microservices Patterns Recommendation based on Information Retrieval

Software developers encounter recurring problems during software development, which can be solved using proven solutions known as design patterns. Microservices architecture, a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) variant, presents common communication, deployment, and service definition challenges. However, selecting the appropriate design pattern from a vast pool of patterns to solve a problem is difficult for novice and experienced developers. This paper proposes a recommendation tool based on Information Retrieval (IR) to assist developers in choosing the suitable microservices pattern to solve a given problem. The tool leverages textual descriptions given by developers to provide relevant indications of microservices patterns. It has been evaluated using both toy and industrial problems, demonstrating promising results. The results showed that the tool was able to solve 60% of toy design problems, indicating that it can provide valuable and accurate recommendations. Furthermore, tests with industrial problems revealed that over 70% of the recommended patterns helped to address the problems at hand. Interviews with developers who work in the software industry corroborated the recommendation tool’s effectiveness and practicality.

E-code: Mastering efficient code generation through pretrained models and expert encoder group

Context:With the waning of Moore’s Law, the software industry is placing increasing importance on finding alternative solutions for continuous performance enhancement. The significance and research results of software performance optimization have been on the rise in recent years, especially with the advancement propelled by Large Language Models (LLMs). However, traditional strategies for rectifying performance flaws have shown significant limitations at the competitive code efficiency optimization level, and research on this topic is surprisingly scarce. Objective:This study aims to address the research gap in this domain, offering practical solutions to the various challenges encountered. Specifically, we have overcome the constraints of traditional performance error rectification strategies and developed a Language Model (LM) tailored for the competitive code efficiency optimization realm. Methods:We introduced E-code, an advanced program synthesis LM. Inspired by the recent success of expert LMs, we designed an innovative structure called the Expert Encoder Group. This structure employs multiple expert encoders to extract features tailored for different input types. We assessed the performance of E-code against other leading models on a competitive dataset and conducted in-depth ablation experiments. Results:Upon systematic evaluation, E-code achieved a 54.98% improvement in code efficiency, significantly outperforming other advanced models. In the ablation experiments, we further validated the significance of the expert encoder group and other components within E-code. Conclusion:The research findings indicate that the expert encoder group can effectively handle various inputs in efficiency optimization tasks, significantly enhancing the model’s performance. In summary, this study paves new avenues for developing systems and methods to assist programmers in writing efficient code.

A parametric and feature-based CAD dataset to support human-computer interaction for advanced 3D shape learning

3D shape learning is an important research topic in computer vision, in which the datasets play a critical role. However, most of the existing 3D datasets use voxels, point clouds, mesh, and B-rep, which are not parametric and feature-based. Thus they can not support the generation of real-world engineering computer-aided design (CAD) models with complicated shape features. Furthermore, they are based on 3D geometry results without human-computer interaction (HCI) history. This work is the first to provide a full parametric and feature-based CAD dataset with a selection mechanism to support HCI in 3D learning. First, unlike existing datasets, mainly composed of simple features (typical sketch and extrude), we devise complicated engineering features, such as fillet, chamfer, mirror, pocket, groove, and revolve. Second, different from the monotonous combination of features, we invent a select mechanism to mimic how human focuses on and selects a particular topological entity. The proposed mechanism establishes the relationships among complicated engineering features, which fully express the design intention and design knowledge of human CAD engineers. Therefore, it can process advanced 3D features for real-world engineering shapes. The experiments show that the proposed dataset outperforms existing CAD datasets in both reconstruction and generation tasks. In quantitative experiment, the proposed dataset demonstrates better prediction accuracy than other parametric datasets. Furthermore, CAD models generated from the proposed dataset comply with semantics of the human CAD engineers and can be edited and redesigned via mainstream industrial CAD software.

Improving reuse during the development process for web systems

Software reuse has emerged as a crucial practice in the software industry, offering significant benefits in time-to-market, and resources management. This is particularly pertinent in web systems development, where the integration of diverse technologies and the varied backgrounds of technical teams pose substantial challenges. The rapid expansion of web systems underscores the urgent need to adopt best practices and methodologies for web system reuse to streamline the development process, reducing effort, cost, and time. This paper aims to identify the key challenges of web system reuse in the context of small and medium-sized software companies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Using qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups, and participant observations, an empirical study was conducted to examine current reuse practices and understand the root causes of common challenges. Based on the results of the empirical study, a systematic approach was developed to enhance web system reuse during the development process in the context of small and medium-sized software companies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The proposed approach addresses critical gaps in current practices, offering practical guidelines to improve efficiency, reduce development time, and enhance overall software quality. This research contributes to the broader discourse on software reuse by providing context-specific insights and adaptable solutions that are relevant to similar markets worldwide.

Study on Static Biomechanical Model of Whole Body Based on Virtual Human.

Material handling tasks often lead to skeletal injury of workers. The whole-body static biomechanical modeling method based on virtual humans is the theoretical basis for analyzing the human factor index in the lifting process. This paper focuses on the study of humans' body static biomechanical model for virtual human ergonomics analysis: First, the whole-body static biomechanical model is constructed, which calculates the biomechanical data such as force and moment, average strength, and maximum hand load at human joints. Secondly, the prototype model test system is developed, and the real experiment environment is set up with the inertial motion capture system. Finally, the model reliability verification experiment and application simulation experiment are designed. The comparison results with the industrial ergonomic software show that the model is consistent with the output of the industrial ergonomic software, which proves the reliability of the model. The simulation results show that under the same load, the maximum joint load and the maximum hand load are strongly related to the working posture, and the working posture should be adjusted to adapt to the load. Upright or bent legs have less influence on the maximum load capacity of the hand. Lower hand load capacity is due to forearm extension, and the upper arm extension greatly reduces the load capacity of the hand. Compared with a one-handed load, the two-handed load has a greater load capacity.

The rCOS framework for multi-dimensional separation of concerns in model-driven engineering

The software industry increasingly turns to Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) to mitigate complexity by automating model creation and transformation. Many organisations are pursuing Integrated Development Platforms (IDPs) to enhance automation in their software development processes within MDE. However, the adoption of MDE and engagement with IDPs remain limited due to concerns over their efficacy. We address these challenges in this review paper by introducing a framework for the formal refinement of component and object systems (rCOS). It provides: (1) a formal theory that consists of a modelling language (named OPL) with a calculus of refinement for object-oriented models and component models; (2) a suite of analysis and design techniques that facilitate abstractions and decompositions, leading to a multidimensional separation of concerns; and (3) an IDP (named rCOS Modeller) that supports modelling, design and verification from requirements elicitation through to coding. By advocating for an rCOS-enabled multidimensional approach to separating concerns, this paper offers a comprehensive solution to the challenges facing MDE and IDPs, paving the way for their successful implementation in practice. By delineating the emerging challenges and prospects associated with integrating formal methods for modelling and designing human-cyber–physical systems (HCPS), we show the potential of extending rCOS for MDE in HCPS.