SERL - Software Engineering Research Laboratory

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/1680
The Software Engineering Research Lab (SERL) at AUT University undertakes world-class research directed at understanding and improving the practice of software professionals in their creation and preservation of software systems. We are interested in all models of software provision – bespoke development, package and component customisation, free/libre open source software (FLOSS) development, and delivery of software as a service (SaaS). The research we carry out may relate to just one or all of these models.

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Browsing SERL - Software Engineering Research Laboratory by Author "Doolin, B"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    A perspective-based understanding of project success
    (John Wiley & Sons, 2012) McLeod, L; Doolin, B; MacDonell, SG
    Answering the call for alternative approaches to researching project management, we explore the evaluation of project success from a subjectivist perspective. An in-depth, longitudinal case study of information systems development in a large manufacturing company was used to investigate how various project stakeholders subjectively perceived the project outcome and what evaluation criteria they drew on in doing so. A conceptual framework is developed for understanding and analyzing evaluations of project success, both formal and informal. The framework highlights how different stakeholder perspectives influence the perceived outcome(s) of a project, and how project evaluations may differ between stakeholders and across time.
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    An empirical investigation into IS development practice in New Zealand
    (Association for Information Systems - AIS Electronic Library (AISeL), 2004) McLeod, L; Macdonell, S; Doolin, B
    A Web-based survey of 106 large New Zealand organisations was undertaken to gain an understanding of their IS development practices. The survey focussed on the contribution of standard methods and user participation to IS development. Among the findings were that 91% of the respondents used a standard method in the development process in at least some of projects undertaken in the last three years. All organisations reported using some level of user participation. The majority of organisations agreed that organisational issues had been more important than technical issues in determining the outcome of the IS development in these projects.
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    IS development practice in New Zealand organisations
    (Australian Computer Society Inc, 2009-02-01) McLeod, L; MacDonell, SG; Doolin, B
    A survey of New Zealand organisations with 200 or more full-time employees was undertaken in order to obtain an updated assessment of IS development practice. Over the period surveyed (2001-2003), larger organisations (500 or more FTEs) or those with larger IS functions (10 or more IS FTEs) undertook significantly more IS projects, more expensive projects, more projects in which users participated and more projects in which a standard method was used, than their smaller counterparts. In the same period, there has been a trend towards increased use of packaged software solutions and outsourced development or customisation of packaged solutions. Factors perceived as most important to facilitating or inhibiting development in actual IS projects were related to availability of resources, definition of user requirements, communication between developers and users, project management, management of IS development-related change, and developer knowledge of the IS development context.
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    Qualitative research on software development: a longitudinal case study methodology
    (Springer, 2011-08) McLeod, L; MacDonell, SG; Doolin, B
    This paper reports the use of a qualitative methodology for conducting longitudinal case study research on software development. We provide a detailed description and explanation of appropriate methods of qualitative data collection and analysis that can be utilized by other researchers in the software engineering field. Our aim is to illustrate the utility of longitudinal case study research, as a complement to existing methodologies for studying software development, so as to enable the community to develop a fuller and richer understanding of this complex, multi-dimensional phenomenon. We discuss the insights gained and lessons learned from applying a longitudinal qualitative approach to an empirical case study of a software development project in a large multinational organization. We evaluate the methodology used to emphasize its strengths and to address the criticisms traditionally made of qualitative research.
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    Standard method use in contemporary IS development: an empirical investigation
    (Emerald, 2007) McLeod, L; MacDonell, S; Doolin, B
    Purpose – The purpose of this research is to obtain an updated assessment of the use of standard methods in IS development practice in New Zealand, and to compare these practices to those reported elsewhere. Design/methodology/approach – A web-based survey of IS development practices in New Zealand organisations with 200 or more full-time employees was conducted. The results of the survey were compared to prior studies from other national contexts. Findings – The results suggest that levels of standard method use continue to be high in New Zealand organisations, although methods are often used in a pragmatic or ad hoc way. Further, the type of method used maps to a shift from bespoke development to system acquisition or outsourcing. Organisations that reported using standard methods perceived them to be beneficial to IS development in their recent IS projects, and generally disagreed with most of the published limitations of standard methods. Research limitations/implications – As the intent was to consider only New Zealand organisations, the results of the survey cannot be generalised further afield. More comparative research is needed to establish whether the trends identified here occur at a wider regional or international level. Practical implications – A significant proportion of organisations anticipated extending their use of standard methods. Growth in packaged software acquisition and outsourced development suggests an increasing need for deployment management as well as development management, possibly reflecting the increased visibility of standard project management methods. Originality/value – The relevance of traditional standard methods of IS development has been questioned in a changing and more dynamic IS development environment. This study provides an updated assessment of standard method use in New Zealand organisations that will be of interest to researchers and practitioners monitoring IS development and acquisition elsewhere.
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    Standard method use in contemporary IS development: an empirical investigation
    (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007) McLeod, L; MacDonell, S; Doolin, B
    Purpose – The purpose of this research is to obtain an updated assessment of the use of standard methods in IS development practice in New Zealand, and to compare these practices to those reported elsewhere. Design/methodology/approach – A web-based survey of IS development practices in New Zealand organisations with 200 or more full-time employees was conducted. The results of the survey were compared to prior studies from other national contexts. Findings – The results suggest that levels of standard method use continue to be high in New Zealand organisations, although methods are often used in a pragmatic or ad hoc way. Further, the type of method used maps to a shift from bespoke development to system acquisition or outsourcing. Organisations that reported using standard methods perceived them to be beneficial to IS development in their recent IS projects, and generally disagreed with most of the published limitations of standard methods. Research limitations/implications – As the intent was to consider only New Zealand organisations, the results of the survey cannot be generalised further afield. More comparative research is needed to establish whether the trends identified here occur at a wider regional or international level. Practical implications – A significant proportion of organisations anticipated extending their use of standard methods. Growth in packaged software acquisition and outsourced development suggests an increasing need for deployment management as well as development management, possibly reflecting the increased visibility of standard project management methods. Originality/value – The relevance of traditional standard methods of IS development has been questioned in a changing and more dynamic IS development environment. This study provides an updated assessment of standard method use in New Zealand organisations that will be of interest to researchers and practitioners monitoring IS development and acquisition elsewhere.
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    User participation in contemporary IS development: an IS management perspective
    (University of Wollongong / Australasian Association for Information Systems and Australian Computer Society, 2007) McLeod, L; MacDonell, SG; Doolin, B
    User participation in IS development has become an established practice perceived to improve both the development process and its outcomes. Recently, however, Markus and Mao (2004) have highlighted the need to revisit user participation in light of the changing IS development environment. A survey of New Zealand organisations with 200 or more full-time employees was undertaken in order to obtain an updated assessment of the actual practice of user participation in IS development projects. The results suggest that user participation continues to be a dominant aspect of IS development. The paper provides empirical data on the common reasons for having users participate and the form and types of user activities in development. The responding organisations perceived user participation to be beneficial to IS development in their recent IS projects, and many intended continuing or increasing their current levels of user participation in the future.
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