Determinants of Process Maturity in English-speaking Caribbean Firms

For decades the IS community has been struggling with the delivery of low quality systems. Software process improvement (SPI) programs are accepted as one of the remedies to overcome this problem, with process maturity being a key element. A major contributor of process maturity is the capability maturity model integration (CMMI). However, most studies regarding process maturity and the determinants of IS quality have been conducted in large firms in developed countries. But it is imperative for software development firms both large and small to understand what is needed to deploy high quality systems. This study seeks to assess the determinants of process maturity in firms in the English-speaking Caribbean (ESC), using the established practices in the CMMI as a baseline for discussion and analysis. Applying PLS as the analytical tool, it was found that project monitoring and control, and verification and validation are major determinants of process maturity in the ESC. These findings can assist practitioners in their pursuit to produce higher quality software products, as well as provide a platform for further refinement of the research model by IS researchers

The adoption of agile software development methods in Jamaica

Research has demonstrated that most information systems projects fail due to people problems. Agile software development methods were introduced in an effort to resolve this problem. It relies on people and their creativity during system development rather than processes and the maturity of firms. Research has found that the adoption of agile methods in software development is becoming very popular. However, there is an appeal in the literature for more empirical studies on agile software development. This study examined the adoption and benefits of agile methods in Jamaican software development firms. The results showed that 53% of the firms surveyed are using agile methods, with SCRUM being the main method, and the top benefits being improved customer satisfaction, improved productivity of teams and speeding up the developmental process. The average uptake of agile methods in Jamaican firms would support the claim for a longitudinal study to track the adoption trend

The impact of cybercrime on e-banking: A proposed model

Each day cybercrime attacks are getting more frequent, dangerous and sophisticated. In 2016 the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 1,408,849 complaints and a reported loss of $4.63 billion. The concept of cybercrime is complex, and as such the drive to overcome the problem is very difficult. However, the continual escalation of cybercrimes can have a negative impact on businesses and by extension the economies of countries. As a result, it is imperative that measures be identified to overcome the problem. Hence, this study seeks to propose a research model which can be used to evaluate the significance of cybercrime in deterring the use of e-banking in the financial sector. It is hoped that the proposed research model will influence other researchers to conduct empirical research in their context

Gender Difference in the Knowledge and Adoption of Educational Technology by Faculty: The Case of a Business School in Jamaica

This paper seeks to inform our understanding of the role played by gender in the process of educational technology adoption in a business school in Jamaica. Gender difference studies in educational research are becoming popular but there are few studies in this domain in higher education, especially with respect to faculty. The research examines the expertise of faculty in educational technologies, as well as their adoption and non-adoption in using these technologies in teaching and learning. The study found that males accounted for 62% of faculty exhibiting high levels of expertise in educational technologies in comparison to 38% for the females. The level of adoption for males was statistically higher than females. In addition, the main enhancer was found to be “educational technologies have the potential to enhance teaching and learning” and the main barriers, “there is no reward from administration for using educational technologies in teaching”. The study reinforces the need for further research to assist with the formulation and implementation of the national policy on using educational technologies to enhance teaching and learning in Jamaic

The Adoption of Software Process Improvement Programs in the English-Speaking Caribbean

Managing and improving the processes used to develop software products is widely accepted as one of the remedies to overcome the problem of poor quality systems being delivered. As a result, the IS community has adopted several software process improvement (SPI) programs. The tenets of these programs are grounded in the belief that a mature development process can increase the likelihood of producing high quality software products with the requisite requirements which should add business value. However, small firms in developing countries like the English-speaking Caribbean (ESC) are not aware nor adopting these SPI programs because they are seen as costly, time consuming and disruptive; hence, not realizing the potential benefits. This study examined the awareness, adoption and benefits of SPI programs in ESC software development firms. The result found that a slight majority (54.5%) of firms in the region are aware of SPI programs, with only 20% of those who are aware using any form of SPI programs in the development of software. These findings reinforces the need for SPI training in the ESC to articulate the compelling need for a change towards the adoption and use of SPI programs in software development

Melhoria de processo de software: Conhecimento, utilização e benefícios em empresas canadenses de desenvolvimento de software

Desde 1982, a comunidade de desenvolvimento de software tem estado preocupada com a entrega de sistemas com qualidade. A melhoria de processo de software (MPS) é uma iniciativa que visa a evitar a entrega de sistemas de baixa qualidade. Entretanto, o conhecimento e a adoção da MPS são baixos. Assim, este estudo examina o nível de conhecimento, utilização e benefícios de iniciativas de MPS em empresas canadenses de desenvolvimento de software. Utilizando o SPSS como ferramenta analítica, este estudo descobriu que 59% das empresas canadenses de desenvolvimento de software conhecem programas de MPS, e 43% dos funcionários utilizam alguma forma de programa de MPS para desenvolver produtos de software. Embora o tamanho da amostra seja pequeno e os resultados não possam ser generalizados, as firmas estudadas que utilizam programas de MPS relataram uma melhoria na qualidade dos produtos de software como sendo o maior benefício. Estas conclusões confirmam a importância dos programas de MPS como modo de produzir produtos de software de qualidade mais elevada, o que pode aumentar a probabilidade das empresas de software de conquistar contratos globais

DEVELOPERS VIEWS ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS QUALITY AND SUCCESS IN CANADIAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FIRMS

For years software developers have struggled in their attempts to deliver high quality and successful software products. A survey was conducted in Canada to assess the main determinants of information systems (IS) quality and success. The survey confirmed the notion that developer skills and contribution had the greatest impact on information systems quality, over process maturity and the application of the latest technology. The survey also discovered that user perception had a greater impact on IS success in comparison to IS quality. In an attempt to gain deeper insights into the state of IS quality and success in Canada, interviews were conducted with Canadian software developers. The interviews revealed that organization climate such as top management support, the social interactions and dynamics among project team members and the structural analysis of the industry are other factors which can influence the quality and success of the delivered software product. These insights if applied during the development and delivery of information systems can enhance the likelihood of producing high quality and successful software products and increase the competitiveness of these firms

DEVELOPERS VIEWS ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS QUALITY AND SUCCESS IN CANADIAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FIRMS

For years software developers have struggled in their attempts to deliver high quality and successful software products. A survey was conducted in Canada to assess the main determinants of information systems (IS) quality and success. The survey confirmed the notion that developer skills and contribution had the greatest impact on information systems quality, over process maturity and the application of the latest technology. The survey also discovered that user perception had a greater impact on IS success in comparison to IS quality. In an attempt to gain deeper insights into the state of IS quality and success in Canada, interviews were conducted with Canadian software developers. The interviews revealed that organization climate such as top management support, the social interactions and dynamics among project team members and the structural analysis of the industry are other factors which can influence the quality and success of the delivered software product. These insights if applied during the development and delivery of information systems can enhance the likelihood of producing high quality and successful software products and increase the competitiveness of these firms

7P. A Preliminary Study of the Use of Software Process Improvement Initiatives in Jamaica

Despite the acknowledged strides that information and communications technologies (ICT) have made, the information systems (IS) community has been plagued with the delivery of low quality information systems (IS). This phenomenon gave rise to a variety of software process improvement (SPI) interventions, aimed at reducing variability in the software production process, as a precursor to improving IS quality. However, SPI initiatives have targeted fairly large organizations and SPI research has been conducted mainly in developed countries, and very little in developing countries and smaller organizations such as those in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean. We sought in this research to ascertain the level of awareness and intention to use SPI programs in Jamaican software development firms. Preliminary indications of our study revealed that a large majority of these firms are not aware of SPI programs; neither do they intend to adopt any form of SPI effort in the near future. Our findings provided the basis to support the claim for future research to explore the underlying causes for this lack of awareness and non-adoption of SPI programs among Jamaican firms

Understanding Mobile Internet Diffusion: The Case of Jamaica

Worldwide it is estimated that there are over 5.3 billion mobile subscribers of which almost 4 billion are in the developing world (ITU, 2010b). For developing countries, the digital divide in terms of access has begun to close with the flow of digital information through core mobile services (e.g. voice, SMS) even in the poorest of countries. This offers the potential to capitalize on the economic benefits and improvements in quality of life that can come about with improved communications (Abraham, 2007; Rashid & Elder, 2009). In addition the rapid spread of this innovation in developing countries also paves the way for greater connectivity and access to the Internet via mobile devices and diffusing of value-added services such as mobile banking. However, uptake of more advanced mobile services other than basic telephony has lagged behind expectations, even for trendsetters like Finland (Bouwman et al., 2008). In developing countries the lag may be due in part to the affordability of access and the underdeveloped nature of basic services such as Internet access and mobile banking. However,where these services are more affordable and accessible (and increasingly so) it is important to investigate why persons have been slow to adopt mobile Interne