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Prescription, description, reflection: the shape of the software process improvement field

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  • Hansen, Bo
  • Rose, Jeremy
  • Tjørnehøj, Gitte

Abstract

This article reviews 322 representative contributions to the software process improvement (SPI) literature. The contributions are categorised according to a simple framework: whether their primary goal is prescriptive (to tell SPI professionals what to do), descriptive (to report actual instances of SPI programs in software organisations), or reflective (theoretically analytical). The field is found to be rather dominated by one approach (the capability maturity model (CMM)) and heavily biased towards prescriptive contributions. Neither of these trends is necessarily beneficial, and it is argued that more theoretically reflective contributions could encourage a diversity of approaches which might also benefit practitioners.

Suggested Citation

  • Hansen, Bo & Rose, Jeremy & Tjørnehøj, Gitte, 2004. "Prescription, description, reflection: the shape of the software process improvement field," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 457-472.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ininma:v:24:y:2004:i:6:p:457-472
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2004.08.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kalle Lyytinen & Lars Mathiassen & Janne Ropponen, 1998. "Attention Shaping and Software Risk—A Categorical Analysis of Four Classical Risk Management Approaches," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 233-255, September.
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    1. Iversen, Jakob & Ngwenyama, Ojelanki, 2006. "Problems in measuring effectiveness in software process improvement: A longitudinal study of organizational change at Danske Data," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 30-43.

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