Software Development Companies Research Articles

Leadership Styles, Self-Efficacy, and Innovative Work Behaviour of Software Developers

"Research Aims: The primary aims of this study involve examining the effect of leadership styles on self-efficacy and the effect of self-efficacy on innovative work behaviour. Design/Methodology/Approach: Quantitative research was conducted by collecting data from 242 randomly selected software developers in four software development companies in Yangon using structured questionnaires. Regression analysis was used to attain the research objectives. Research Findings: The results showed that transactional and ambidextrous leadership styles have a significant effect on increasing the self-efficacy of software developers. This study also revealed that self-efficacy is an antecedent of the innovative work behaviour of software developers. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: The study confirmed that transactional leadership significantly impacts self-efficacy and validated the role of ambidextrous leadership in self-efficacy. Moreover, self-efficacy was found to have an impact on innovative work behaviour. Managerial Implication in the South East Asian Context: This study suggests that transactional and ambidextrous leadership styles can create enabling environments by encouraging and empowering team members to increase their self-efficacy and engage in more innovative endeavours. Research Limitation & Implications: Data was collected once using a questionnaire from a sample of four companies. The insights can help leaders maintain a sustainable competitive advantage, leading to more job opportunities and long-term economic growth in Myanmar and other developing countries."

Development & psychometrics of the SOLID-S – An inventory assessing software security culture in software development companies

Software security is a crucial requirement for most of the software used nowadays. Besides specialized knowledge of engineers and developers, organizational culture can contribute to software security to a great extent if specific cultural dimensions are in alignment with security. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the SOLID-S, a six-dimensional inventory assessing this type of software security culture in software development companies. We present the iterative test development process of the inventory and examine its psychometric properties in an empirical study with N=327 participants by means of Item Response Theory. We identify the SOLID-S to have appropriate measurement qualities in terms of accuracy, fairness across subgroups, item fit and dimensionality. Results suggest that the inventory's subscales comply with the Partial Credit Model and, hence, raw sum scores of the subscales can be interpreted reliably. The SOLID-S can therefore be used for research, as a starting point for organizational change programs, or to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aiming to improve security culture.

INTERFERENCE VS ENHANCEMENT : WORK-LIFE BALANCE DIMENSIONS ON JOB SATISFACTION AND TURNOVER INTENTION

The increase in jobs at software development companies has in-creased much faster than the average for other jobs. Intention to change jobs is one of the bad work-related outcomes for software development companies. Work-life balance has been found to reduce the intention in changing jobs. Individuals who have balanced work and life will experience less work overload and depression, and find it easier to carry out work and life roles. This research aims to determine the influence of work-life balance dimensions and job satisfaction on turnover intention. The research method used was descriptive and quantitative involving 61 respondents (saturated sample), and was conducted from December 2022 to April 2023. The sampling technique used was non-probability sampling with a saturated sample or census. Data processing and analysis techniques use PLS-SEM via SmartPLS 3.0 software. The results of the research produced several conclusions, namely two dimensions representing work-life balance that have a significant effect, namely personal life interference with work (PLIW) which is detrimental to job satisfaction, and work interference with personal life (WIPL) which has a positive effect on turnover intention. job satisfaction has a significant negative effect on employee turnover intentions. The step that companies need to take is to pay attention to work interference with personal life, especially related to fatigue after working during peak workload periods. Companies can provide facilities in the form of multivitamins to employees and carry out regular weekly sports activities to increase employee stamina.

Evaluating the impact of an information-based education and training platform on the incidence, severity, and coping resources status of workplace violence among nurses: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundWorkplace violence among nurses has emerged as a critical issue, posing a significant threat to their occupational safety. Education and training are the primary measures employed to prevent and respond to workplace violence. However, the current approaches have proven ineffective, possibly due to a lack of consideration for the specific needs of clinical nurses. Therefore, it is essential to explore the effectiveness of an informational education and training platform tailored to nurses' requirements. This study aimed to investigate the impact of such a platform on the incidence, severity, and coping resources of WPV in nurses.MethodsThis research was a quasi-experimental study. An information-based education and training platform focused on nurse workplace violence was developed through literature reviews, expert meetings, consultations with software development companies, and a trial run. A tertiary general hospital in Suzhou was selected, in which hospital district A was the intervention group and hospital district B was the control group. A total of 276 nurses were recruited, 140 in the intervention group and 136 in the control group. The nurses' incidence, severity, coping resources status, and evaluation of the application were measured before the intervention and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention.ResultsThe overall incidence of workplace violence, verbal aggression, and verbal threat among nurses showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) for the time effect, while the incidence of physical aggression demonstrated statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) for the between-group effect and the time effect. The severity of physical violence among nurses exhibited statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) for the between-group effect and time effect, and the severity of psychological violence showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) for the time effect. Nurses' total coping resources score and dimensions also showed statistically significant differences in terms of group, time, and interaction effects (P < 0.001). The evaluation questionnaire for the mobile application indicated usefulness scores of 2 (1, 2); ease of learning scores of 2 (1, 2); ease of use scores of 2 (1, 2); trust scores of 2 (1, 2.75); acceptance score of 1 (1, 2); and satisfaction scores of 2 (1, 2).ConclusionsImplementing the nurse workplace violence information-based education and training platform proved beneficial in reducing the incidence and severity of workplace violence among nurses and enhancing their coping resources. This outcome suggested the platform's potential for further application and promotion in clinical settings.

Comparative study of SPI success factors in global and in-house environment for large-scale software companies

Background Software process improvement (SPI) is an indispensable phenomenon in the evolution of a software development company that adopts global software development (GSD) or in-house development. Several software development companies do not only adhere to in-house development but also go for the GSD paradigm. Both development approaches are of paramount significance because of their respective advantages. Many studies have been conducted to find the SPI success factors in the case of companies that opt for in-house development. Still, less attention has been paid to the SPI success factors in the case of the GSD environment for large-scale software companies. Factors that contribute to the SPI success of small as well as medium-sized companies have been identified, but large-scale companies have still been overlooked. The research aims to identify the success factors of SPI for both development approaches (GSD and in-house) in the case of large-scale software companies. Methods Two systematic literature reviews have been performed. An industrial survey has been conducted to detect additional SPI success factors for both development environments. In the subsequent step, a comparison has been made to find similar SPI success factors in both development environments. Lastly, another industrial survey is conducted to compare the common SPI success factors of GSD and in-house software development, in the case of large-scale companies, to divulge which SPI success factor carries more value in which development environment. For this reason, parametric (Pearson correlation) and non-parametric (Kendall’s Tau correlation and the Spearman correlation) tests have been performed. Results The 17 common SPI factors have been identified. The pinpointed common success factors expedite and contribute to SPI in both environments in the case of large-scale companies.

Six Sigma methodology based on the PMBOK guide in the release management process in software developer enterprise

The objective of this work was to analyze the application of the Six Sigma methodology based on the PMBOK guide in the release management process in a software developer company. With the increasing complexity of the release management process in the software developer company, we saw the need to analyze the mapped process, and identify points of failure or improvement that could be fixed/improved. For the implementation of the Six Sigma methodology, it was defined that the PMBOK would be used as the guiding basis for the definition of which project management processes would be used. The methodology was used as a reference for quality methods and tools for application in the process carried out by the application infrastructure area. A qualitative approach was applied as a research methodology, with bibliographic research for the theoretical foundation and documentary research, making annotations about the observed process, as well as its results. By defining the project management processes, the project was executed in such a way as to provide the methodology to be applied assertively on the process, thus identifying the points of failure and improvement to be addressed, thus achieving the expected goal.

Critical success factors for DevOps adoption in information systems development

Adopting DevOps is challenging since it makes a significant paradigm shift in the Information Systems Development process. DevOps is a trending approach attached to the Agile Software Development Methodology, which facilitates adaptation to the customers' rapidly-changing requirements. It keeps one front step by introducing software operators who support the transmission between software and implementation into the software development team by confirming faster development, quality assurance, and easy maintenance of Information Systems (IS). However, software development companies reported challenges in adopting DevOps. It is critical to control those challenges while getting hold of the benefits by studying Critical Success Factors (CSF) for adopting DevOps. This study aimed to analyze the use of DevOps approach in IS developments by exploring CSFs of DevOps. A systematic literature review was applied to identify CSFs. These factors were confirmed by interviewing DevOps practitioners while identifying more frequent CSFs in the software development industry. Finally, the research presents a conceptual model for CSFs of DevOps, which is a guide to reap the DevOps benefits while reducing the hurdles for enhancing the success of IS. The conceptual model presents CSFs of DevOps by grouping them into four areas: collaborative culture, DevOps practices, proficient DevOps team, and metrics &amp; measurement.

소프트웨어 개발도급에 있어 일의 완성의무와 하자담보책임의 관계

Today, as the use of computers, communication, and automation equipment increases, the demand for development of software used in hardware is also increasing, and software development contracts are also frequently signed. In the case of software development contracts, the development requirements or the details of what developers have to do at the time of signing the contract are often not specifically determined in the contract, resulting in a lot of disputes regarding “Whether the work has been completed” or defect liability. Therefore, in this study I examined the content of an obligation to complete work and defect liability and the relationship between them so that it can be used as a reference in resolving or preventing wasteful disputes at software development sites.&#x0D; In the case of software development contracts, as it is difficult to expect the delivery of a complete product without any defects, the criteria for determining the completion of work is somewhat eased compared to ordinary contracts for work, so the ordering party cannot deny “work completion” due to minor defects. Therefore, if there is a minor defect in the software delivered by the developer after completing the development of it, the ordering party must acknowledge the completion of the work and pay compensation corresponding to the completion of the work, and the ordering party can only claim defect liability for such minor defect against the developer. In other words, the wider the scope of defects to be resolved by the defect liability, the narrower the scope of defects recognized as the incompletion of work, so it can be said that the obligation to complete work and the defect liability have a complementary relationship. In addition, even if the work as a whole is incomplete, in certain cases, remuneration may be paid for the completed part.&#x0D; If this research results can be referenced for the software development contract practice, consumptive disputes arising from unjust denial of the completion of work due to minor defects can be prevented, and disputes that have occurred can be reasonably adjusted. However, in order to more actively protect small software development companies, it is necessary to clarify the obligation of the contracting party through legislation. Therefore, in Chapter 4 of this study, I made legislative suggestions.

Pengaruh Flexible Working Space dan Flexible Working Time terhadap Kinerja Tim melalui Kerja Sama Tim pada Perusahaan Pengembangan Perangkat Lunak di Indonesia

The terms flexible working space and flexible working time have become popular recently after the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of technology startup companies that adopt a new work model where work arrangements are flexible in terms of both place (Flexible Working Space) and time (Flexible Working Time). However, there are concerns from management regarding the decline in employee performance if these work arrangements are adopted, due to a decrease in team collaboration effectiveness caused by separate workspaces (flexispace). This article aims to examine the impact of Flexible Working Space and Flexible Working Time on team performance through team collaboration in software development companies in Indonesia and contribute by providing findings on the impact of flexible work arrangements in terms of place and time that can be useful for companies that have or will implement flexible work systems and require information regarding the impact of such work arrangements. The population consists of team leads/managers from across Indonesia who are part of various software developer communities. Data was collected using convenience sampling technique through a questionnaire. The number of samples used was 97. The data analysis method used is PLS-SEM with the assistance of SmartPLS software.

Deep Learning Based on Fine Tuning with Application to the Reliability Assessment of Similar Open Source Software

Recently, many open-source products have been used under the situations of general software development, because the cost saving and standardization. Therefore, many open-source products are gathering attention from many software development companies. Then, the reliability/quality of open-source products becomes very important factor for the software development. This paper focuses on the reliability/quality evaluation of open-source products. In particular, the large quantity fault data sets recorded on Bugzilla of open-source products is used in many open-source development projects. Then, the large amount of data sets of software faults is recorded on the Bugzilla. This paper proposes the reliability/quality evaluation approach based on the deep machine learning by using the large quantity fault data on the Bugzilla. Moreover, the large quantity fault data sets are analyzed by the deep machine learning based on the fine-tuning.

Kendala-Kendala dalam Penerapan Flexible Working Arrangement di Perusahaan Pengembangan Perangkat Lunak dan Penanggulangan

The implementation of flexible working in various software development companies has been widely adopted, but behind the popularity of the system, there are various visible and hidden issues. Most companies still feel unprepared to implement the system due to a lack of standardization regarding the procedures for implementing the said system. This article aims to identify the various problems and challenges that arise in the implementation of the system and the best practices to address them. Data was collected from three software development companies in Bandung using observation and interviews as the research methods. Questionnaires were also used to gather data on the extent of adoption of these mitigation practices.

Security Monitoring during Software Development: An Industrial Case Study

The devastating consequences of successful security breaches that have been observed recently have forced more and more software development enterprises to shift their focus towards building software products that are highly secure (i.e., vulnerability-free) from the ground up. In order to produce secure software applications, appropriate mechanisms are required for enabling project managers and developers to monitor the security level of their products during their development and identify and eliminate vulnerabilities prior to their release. A large number of such mechanisms have been proposed in the literature over the years, but limited attempts with respect to their industrial applicability, relevance, and practicality can be found. To this end, in the present paper, we demonstrate an integrated security platform, the VM4SEC platform, which exhibits cutting-edge solutions for software security monitoring and optimization, based on static and textual source code analysis. The platform was built in a way to satisfy the actual security needs of a real software development company. For this purpose, an industrial case study was conducted in order to identify the current security state of the company and its security needs in order for the employed security mechanisms to be adapted to the specific needs of the company. Based on this analysis, the overall architecture of the platform and the parameters of the selected models and mechanisms were properly defined and demonstrated in the present paper. The purpose of this paper is to showcase how cutting-edge security monitoring and optimization mechanisms can be adapted to the needs of a dedicated company and to be used as a blueprint for constructing similar security monitoring platforms and pipelines.

Bibliometric Analysis to A Future Research Direction on Agile Transformation

Agile transformation has become increasingly popular as a management approach to improve performance, but there has been limited research on its direction. This study aims to advance knowledge on agile transformation to help companies become faster, more flexible, and more responsive. The study employs a bibliometric approach to analyze 116 "Agile Transformation" papers published in the Scopus database over the past 20 years. The findings indicate an increasing number of publications in recent years, with the United States, Finland, and Germany being the top countries. However, the research connections are not yet consolidated, as only 22 authors out of 282 have co-authored papers. The research has also been mainly focused on software development and IT companies, using case studies, grounded theory, and surveys. The study reveals that the major research hotspots in the agile transformation are agile transformation, software development, software design, agile methods, agile transition, and agile adoption. The grand theories emerging in the Agile Transformation revolution emphasize the importance of collaboration, communication, continuous improvement, and customer value. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research on agile transformation and offers insights for future research. The findings highlight the need for greater research diversity beyond software development and IT companies and an opportunity to use action research and ethnography strategies to understand agile transformation. Ultimately, this study contributes to the advancement of knowledge on agile transformation and its role in improving organizational performance.

Evaluation of an artificial intelligence project in the software industry based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and complex adaptive systems

PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI) is the most progressive commodity among current information system applications. In-house development and sales of beneficial products are difficult for many software development and service companies (SDSCs). SDSCs have some implicit concerns about implementing AI software development due to the complexity of AI technology; they require an evaluation framework to avoid development failure. To fill the void, this study identified the factors influencing SDSCs when developing AI software development.Design/methodology/approachBased on complex adaptive systems theory, three aspects were developed as the main factors of hierarchy, namely, employees' capabilities, environmental resources and team capabilities. Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was used to assess the SDSCs' attitude. Based on SDSCs, attitudes toward implementing AI software projects were collected to calculate the hierarchy of factors.FindingsThe outcome of FAHP is used as understanding the key factors of SDSCs for selecting an AI software project, toward the improvement of overall project planning. Employees' stress resistance was considered as a priority for the project, although professional AI skills and resources were also important.Originality/valueThis study suggested three variables developed using complex adaptive systems. This study contributes to a better understanding of the critical aspects of developing AI software projects in SDSCs. The study's findings have practical and academic implications for SDSCs and subsequent academic development, broadening the scope of AI software development research.

Global Virtual Team Working during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract Virtual work introduces distinct challenges when compared to face-to-face or on-site work. Communication and collaboration are key factors in team development and in team performance. When teamwork is of a global nature, imposed because of a pandemic, then additional variables are introduced into the equation. The challenges that global virtual teams (GVTs) encounter when communicating and developing in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic impacts how work is structured and teams develop. This qualitative study was conducted just over 1 year after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when working from home became mandatory and particular challenges for GVTs became apparent. Data are gathered through an online anonymous survey and followed by semi-structured video-mediated interviews with staff in a large multinational software development company. Findings show that GVTs encounter a number of distinct challenges than face-to-face teams. However, individuals are actively adapting to the situation in which they find themselves and are learning to deal with the challenges by being proactive. Even though the tools used previously may not be entirely suitable for virtual work, GVTs learn to change how tools are used to be more productive and collaborative. Challenges continue to exist in areas, such as knowledge gathering and knowledge sharing. Communication failures can lead to delays and confusion. The findings also indicate that even though GVTs are not communicating as much informally or socially with their colleagues because of remote working in the pandemic, being remote is not having a negative effect on the ability to get work done. Some aspects of team development can be negatively affected when working in GVTs. Impacts are identified relating to trust and relationship building, as well as being able to identify and resolve conflict. These results prompt further research opportunities as organizations and individuals continue to adapt and embrace global virtual teamwork.

How to Move from Agile to Agility in Software Organizations

Agility adoption in software development organizations is considered a strong solution to managing a rapidly changing, uncertain, and unsteady workplace. Especially, as the objective of Agility is to control changes that may happen. So, moving from Agile to Agility increases the organizations’ ability in swiftly and effectively react to unexpected variations in market requests. Agile refers to a mindset emphasizing teamwork, frequent value delivery, and the ability to deal with functional changes. The distinction between Agile and Agility needs to be understood in order to prevent misunderstandings, because Agility is recognized as one of the most important attributes of an organization against market turbulence. Through systematic mapping, this research explores the transition from Agile to Agility in software development companies. Systematic mapping is a technique for gathering, collating, and presenting research evidence. Eight research questions were identified, and to provide answers to these questions, several research papers have been explored in electronic databases. Eventually, 33 research papers were inspected, and answers to all research questions were provided. The results that have been achieved by this research proved that Agile and Agility differ in terms of definitions, attributes, numbers of dimensions, and the dimensions themselves

Insights from the application of Exploratory Tests in the daily life of distributed teams: an experience report

The Exploratory Testing (ET) approach has been adopted in the context of agile development due to the effectiveness of its application. Due to these benefits, the need arose to train agile professionals based on the practical application of this type of test to contribute to its incorporation into the daily work of teams. In this sense, the objective of this article is to investigate the contributions and limitations of adopting Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) in ET teaching-learning, and the main aspects that favor or limit the incorporation of ET into the day-to-day of agile teams. For this, we conducted a course in remote teaching format with agile professionals from a software development company, distributed geographically. At the end of the course, data were collected through an online questionnaire and examined with quantitative and qualitative analysis. Then, the ET activities performed by the participants in their daily lives were monitored and a brainstorming session was conducted to evaluate this experience. Our main findings are that (1) the collaboration between participants and the adoption of a real problem, along with (2) activities and resources made available before the class, and (3) the existence of specific tool support for ET sessions optimized learning in the context of remote teaching. Other main results refer to the planning and registration of ET and the need for guidelines to guide the execution of ET. Therefore, integrating theory and practice in ET is necessary for a better understanding of the effects of tests in the agile environment. Additionally, it is necessary to investigate specific approaches and tools that contribute to the execution of the ET and, consequently, to the incorporation of this test into the daily lives of the teams.

Application of Kano Model in Risk Identification of Software Development Projects

Risk management and identification of software projects is an important factor in software project management. Software project risks will affect the implementation of the project plans, and if they do, they will affect the project progress, increase the project costs, and even make the software project unfeasible. Risk occurrence can be minimized if risk management and identification are implemented in a project. However, in China, many software development companies do not have the awareness of risk management and identification, or use inappropriate management technology, resulting in software development projects are often delayed, beyond the budget or even failed. Successful project management requires good risk management and identification of projects. This study adopts the Ko model to scientifically and reasonably determine the priority of risk management of software projects, and take corresponding countermeasures for different risk factors, to ensure the smooth implementation of software projects, and then ensure the completion of them and the realization of objectives. This ensures the successful completion of software projects and optimal management with limited resources.

Helping Personal Service Firms to Cope with Digital Transformation: Evaluation of a Digitalization Maturity Model

Background: Maturity models are strategic and systematic instruments that help firms in the process of digital transformation. They are widely used as tools to display trajectories to guide the progression from an analog to a digital stage. To date, maturity models for industries such as manufacturing, software development, public services, telecommunication, and startup companies have been developed, and also being applicable in real-life practice. However, for the sector of personal services (e.g., education, retail, hospitality, healthcare, arts and entertainment, and craftmanship), maturity models are missing. To address this gap, this research aims to present a digitalization maturity model for the specific needs of personal service firms, and evaluate its applicability, usefulness, and impact in practice. Method: The research is embedded in a comprehensive Design Science Research cycle. Based on descriptive and prescriptive knowledge, a maturity model has been developed. This paper evaluates the applicability, usefulness, and impact of the maturity model by conducting a mixed-method approach, including a survey with 30 experts from personal service firms and eight semi-structured in-depth expert interviews. Results: Our results indicate that the maturity model serves as a strategic and systematic tool for short-, mid-, or long-term digital transformation projects by guiding personal service firms through consecutive development maturity stages until reaching a so-called stage of “digital maturity”. The model has been determined to be applicable, useful, and to potentially impact personal service firms towards the development of a digital business ecosystem. Conclusion: The presented maturity model offers guidance for personal service firms to achieve the transition from analog to digital and serves as a basis for future research in developing effective instruments and strategic tools to cope with challenges from digital transformation.

Software Development Practice as Baradian Entanglement

Software development practice is a messy, complicated, and constantly shifting human endeavor. Barad’s concept of “entanglement” helps to theorize complex sociotechnical systems. We are testing the application of this theory to understand and explain software development practices, as our work appears to be the only ethnographic research using Barad in any technology industry. Our continual aim is to understand large-scale, collaborative software development more deeply in practice and to discover appropriate theories that describe our observations and insights. Both authors are experienced software engineers and researchers. Through an ongoing longitudinal ethnographic study at a large Australian software development company, we explore, support, and improve the lived experience and practice of the software developers that work there. Ethnographic insights and an appreciation of the mutual constitution of situated phenomena have expanded over several years into an elaboration of entanglement as a more insightful explanation of software development practice. This research is having a significant impact on the participant developers and organization, including changes in measurement practices, mentoring, knowledge management, and innovation.