The Challenges of Creativity in Software Organizations

Part 1: Creating ValueInternational audienceManaging creativity has proven to be one of the most important drivers in software development and use. The continuous changing market environment drives companies like Google, SAS Institute and LEGO to focus on creativity as an increasing necessity when competing through sustained innovations. However, creativity in the information systems (IS) environment is a challenge for most organizations that is primarily caused by not knowing how to strategize creative processes in relation to IS strategies, thus, causing companies to act ad hoc in their creative endeavors. In this paper, we address the organizational challenges of creativity in software organizations. Grounded in a previous literature review and a rigorous selection process, we identify and present a model of seven important factors for creativity in software organizations. From these factors, we identify 21 challenges that software organizations experience when embarking on creative endeavors and transfer them into a comprehensive framework. Using an interpretive research study, we further study the framework by analyzing how the challenges are integrated in 27 software organizations. Practitioners can use this study to gain a deeper understanding of creativity in their own business while researchers can use the framework to gain insight while conducting interpretive field studies of managing creativity

A Controlled Experiment of a Method for Early Requirements Triage Utilizing Product Strategies

[Context and motivation] In market-driven product development of software intensive products large numbers of requirements threaten to overload the development organization. It is critical for product management to select the requirements aligned with the overall business goals, product strategies and discard others as early as possible. Thus, there is a need for an effective and efficient method that deals with this challenge and supports product managers in the continuous effort of early requirements triage [1, 2] based on product strategies. This paper evaluates such a method - A Method for Early Requirements Triage Utilizing Product Strategies (MERTS), which is built based on the needs identified in literature and industry. [Question/problem] The research question answered in this paper is "If two groups of subjects have a product strategy, one group in NL format and one in MERTS format, will there be a difference between the two groups with regards to effectiveness and efficiency of requirements triage?" The effectiveness and efficiency of the MERTS were evaluated through controlled experiment in a lab environment with 50 software engineering graduate students as subjects. [Principal ideas/results] It was found through results that MERTS method is highly effective and efficient. [Contribution] The contribution of this paper is validation of effectiveness and efficiency of the product strategies created through MERTS method for requirements triage, prior to industry trials. A major limitation of the results is that the experiment was performed with the graduate students and not the product managers. However, the results showed that MERTS is ready for industry trials

Predicting IGF-1R Therapy Response in Bone Sarcomas: Immuno-SPECT Imaging with Radiolabeled R1507.

Contains fulltext : 97236.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)PURPOSE: To investigate whether indium-111-labeled R1507 ((111)In-R1507) immuno-SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography), a novel noninvasive, in vivo screening method to visualize membranous insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) expression and accessibility, can be used to predict IGF-1R treatment (R1507) response in bone sarcomas. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: BALB/c nude mice were subcutaneously implanted with IGF-1R-expressing human bone sarcoma xenografts (OS-1, EW-5, and EW-8) which showed high, modest, or no response, respectively, to R1507, a monoclonal antibody targeting the extracellular domain of IGF-1R. An IGF-1R-negative tumor (OS-33), unresponsive to IGF-1R inhibitors, was examined as well. Mice were injected with (111)In-R1507. Biodistribution and immuno-SPECT/computed tomography imaging studies were carried out 1, 3, and 7 days p.i. in mice with OS-1 and EW-5 xenografts and 3 days p.i. in mice with EW-8 and OS-33 xenografts. RESULTS: Biodistribution studies showed specific accumulation of (111)In-R1507 in OS-1 and EW-5 xenografts (27.5 +/- 6.5%ID/g and 14.0 +/- 2.8%ID/g, 3 days p.i., respectively). Most importantly, (111)In-R1507 uptake in IGF-1R positive, but unresponsive, EW-8 xenografts (6.5 +/- 1.5%ID/g, 3 days p.i.) was similar to that of the IGF-1R-negative OS-33 tumor (5.5 +/- 0.6%ID/g, 3 days p.i.). Uptake in normal tissues was low and nonspecific. Corresponding immuno-SPECT images clearly discriminated between high, modest, and nonresponding tumors by showing a homogeneous (OS-1), heterogeneous (EW-5), or nonspecific (EW-8 and OS-33) tumor uptake of (111)In-R1507. CONCLUSIONS: (111)In-R1507 immuno-SPECT is an excellent method to visualize membranous IGF-1R expression and target accessibility in vivo in human bone sarcoma xenografts and may serve as an independent marker to predict IGF-1R therapy (R1507) response in bone sarcoma patients. Clin Cancer Res; 17(24); 7693-703. (c)2011 AACR