Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
skip to main content
article

Selecting a Systems Development Methodology: A Contingency Framework

Published: 01 January 1991 Publication History

Abstract

Uncertainty and complexity are inherent characteristics of a new information system. They occur at the beginning of the project and with different intensities during development depending on the system's type. Based on a review of the literature, it is argued that uncertainty and complexity can be used to derive the most suitable development strategy for a given project. A framework integrating system types and their corresponding development strategies is offered and justifications supplied. General guidelines concerning the application of the framework are provided for the practicing managers.

References

[1]
Alavi, M. (1984a), An Assessment of the Prototyping Approach to Information Systems Development, Communications of the ACM, 27(6), 556-563.
[2]
Alavi, M. (1984b), The Evolution of Information Systems Development Approaches: Some Field Observations, Data Base, 15(3), 19-24.
[3]
Alter, S. (1977), A Taxonomy of Decision Support Systems, Sloan Management Review, 19(1), 39-56.
[4]
Benjamin, R.J. (1982), Information Technology in the 1990's: A Long-Range Planning Scenario, MIS Quarterly, 6(2), 11-31.
[5]
Berrisford, I. and Wetherbe, J. (1979), Heuristic Development: A Redesign of Systems Design, MIS Quarterly, 3(1), 11-19.
[6]
Burns, R.N. and Dennis, A.R. (1985), Selecting the appropriate application development methodology, Data Base, 17(1), 19-23.
[7]
Canning, R.G. (1981), Developing Systems by Prototyping, EDP Analyzer, 19(9), 1-12.
[8]
Cerveny, R.P., Garrity, E.J., and Sanders, G.L. (1985), The Application of Prototyping to Systems Development: A Rationale and Model, Journal of Management Information Systems, 3(2), 52-62.
[9]
Cerveny, R.P., Garrity, E.J., and Sanders, G.L. (1990), A Problem-Solving Perspective on Systems Development, Journal of Management Information Systems, 6(4), 103-128.
[10]
Cerveny, R.P., Garrity, E.J., Hunt, R.G., Kirs, P.J., Sanders, G.L. and Sipior J.C. (1987), Why Software Prototyping Works, Datamation, 33(16), 97-103.
[11]
Davis, G.B. (1982), Strategies for Information Requirements Determination, IBM Systems Journal, 21(1), 4-30.
[12]
Dennis, A.R., Burns, R.N., and Gallupe, R.B. (1987), Phased Design: A Mixed Methodology for Application Systems Development, Data Base, 18(4), 31-37.
[13]
Elam, P.G., Choosing Between System Development Alternatives, Journal of Systems Management, 31(9), 36-40.
[14]
Ginzberg, M.J. and Ariav, G. (1986), Methodologies for DSS Analysis and Design: A Contingency Approach to their Application, Proceedings of 1986 International Conference in Information Systems, 46-56.
[15]
Gorry, G.A. and Scott Morton, M.S. (1971), A Framework for Management Information Systems, Sloan Management Review, 13(1), Fall, 55-70.
[16]
Gremillion, L.L. and Pyburn, P. (1983), Breaking the Systems Development Bottleneck, Harvard Business Review, 61(2), 130-137.
[17]
Jenkins, A.M. (1985), Prototyping: A Methodology for the Design and Development of Application Systems, Spectrum, 2(2).
[18]
Johnson, J.R. (1983), A Prototypical Success Story, Datamation, 251-256.
[19]
Keen, P.G.W. and Gambino, T.J. (1983), Building a Decision Support System: The Mythical Man-Month Revisited, in Building Expert Systems, J.L. Bennett (Ed.), Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 133-172.
[20]
Mahmood, M.A. (1987), Systems Development Methods-A Comparative Investigation, MIS Quarterly, 293-310.
[21]
Martin, J. (1982), Application Development without Programmers, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.
[22]
McFarlan, F.W. (1981), Portfolio Approach to Information Systems, Harvard Business Review, 59(5), 142-150.
[23]
Meador, C.L., Guyote, M.J. and Rosenfeld, W.L. (1986), Decision Support Planning and Analysis: The Problems of getting Large-Scale DSS Started, MIS Quarterly, 10(2), 159-177.
[24]
Miller, R. (1988), Custom Software in 120 days or your money back, Managing Automation, 3(3), 20-21.
[25]
Murdick, R.G. (1970), MIS Development Procedures, Journal of Systems Management, 21(12), 22-26.
[26]
Naumann, J.D. and Davis, G.B., A Contingency Theory to Select an Information Requirements Determination Methodology, Proceedings of the Second Software Life Cycle Management Workshop, IEEE, August 1978, pp.63-65.
[27]
Naumann, J.D. and Jenkins, A.M. (1982), Prototyping: The New Paradigm for Systems Development, MIS Quarterly, 6(3), 29-44.
[28]
Pliskin, N. and Shoval, P. (1987), End-User Prototyping: Sophisticated Users Supporting System Development, Data Base, 18(4), 7-17.
[29]
Rockart, J.F. and Flannery, L.S. (1983), The Management of End-User Computing, Communications of the ACM, 26(10), 776-784.
[30]
Scott Morton, M.S. (1971), Management Decision Support Systems: Computer Based Support for Decision Making, Division of Research, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
[31]
Wetherbe, J.C. and Leitheiser, R.L. (1985), Information Centers: A Survey of Services, Decisions, Problems, and Successes, Journal of Information Systems Management, 2(3), 3-10.
[32]
Zmud, R. (1980), Management of Large Software Development Efforts, MIS Quarterly, 4(2), 45-55.
[33]
Zmud, R. (1983), Information Systems in Organizations, Scott, Foresman, and Co.

Cited By

View all
  • (2002)Explaining Software Developer Acceptance of MethodologiesIEEE Transactions on Software Engineering10.1109/TSE.2002.115828728:12(1135-1145)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2002
  • (1998)An empirical validation of a contingency model for information require-ments determinationACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/313310.31333329:3(31-51)Online publication date: 1-Jun-1998

Recommendations

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image Information Resources Management Journal
Information Resources Management Journal  Volume 4, Issue 1
January 1991
32 pages
ISSN:1040-1628
EISSN:1533-7979
Issue’s Table of Contents

Publisher

IGI Global

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 January 1991

Qualifiers

  • Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

  • Downloads (Last 12 months)0
  • Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0
Reflects downloads up to 16 Oct 2024

Other Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View all
  • (2002)Explaining Software Developer Acceptance of MethodologiesIEEE Transactions on Software Engineering10.1109/TSE.2002.115828728:12(1135-1145)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2002
  • (1998)An empirical validation of a contingency model for information require-ments determinationACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems10.1145/313310.31333329:3(31-51)Online publication date: 1-Jun-1998

View Options

View options

Get Access

Login options

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share this Publication link

Share on social media