The Impact of Organizational Culture and Structure on the Routinization of Agile Software Development Methodologies

Agile software development methodologies represent a departure from the heavy document-driven procedures of plan-driven approaches. As organizations continue to adopt agile methodologies, understanding the factors that influence the routinization of agile is a growing concern. In recent years, researchers have focused their attention to the issues of post-adoptive agile use in order to extend our knowledge on agile assimilation. However, little research has been conducted to expose the assimilation gaps that occur as organizations seek to increase the extent and intensity of their agile use. Following prior literature, our objective is to articulate a model that explains the impact of organizational culture and structure on the routinization of agile methods. Our theoretical model provides helpful insights that extend our of knowledge of agile assimilation in organizations

Implementing Scrum Wholesale in the Classroom

As the most widely used agile software development method, Scrum has become a mainstay in many organizations that develop software. Despite Scrum’s popularity, several studies examine Scrum implementations that include some parts of the methodology and exclude others. This paper describes how Scrum has been incorporated into the classroom wholesale and highlights important considerations when using Scrum for student software development projects. Students having little to no knowledge of Scrum were able to gain confidence in using the method in a real-world setting. The paper discusses the use of a hands-on Scrum project as a pedagogical tool for teaching the Scrum methodology and software development life cycle principles. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to understand student experiences with a wholesale Scrum implementation in the classroom. The paper concludes with data analysis and recommendations for implementing Scrum in future projects

Understanding Agile Software Development Assimilation Beyond Acceptance

Agile software development methods represent a departure from the heavily regimented and document-driven procedures of traditional, waterfall approaches. Despite the highly touted benefits of employing agile ISD methods and the growth of agile adoption rates over the past two decades, it is not clear why some organizations fail to routinize agile methods, while others do so and realize their promised benefits. Motivated by the need to understand the factors that influence agile routinization, this study empirically examines the deep contextual factors that impact the extent to which agile methods are proliferated throughout an organization. Findings indicate that project success from initial agile use does not translate to routine agile use. Instead, findings from the study suggest that organizational factors of organizational culture and structure play a pivotal role in the routinization of agile methods

Using Virtual Laboratories to Teach Realistic Hands-On IoT Training in Remote Settings

With an excess of interconnected devices, Internet of things (IoT) technologies offer an exciting area for information systems researchers; however, the inherently physical nature of IoT makes it difficult to provide hands-on laboratory exercises to remote students. Research suggests that enactive mastery provides the greatest educational improvement to individual self-efficacy, yet not all enactive experiences are the same, certainly not when individuals have no means of accessing materials physically. Through the use of a virtual laboratory and home automation IoT technology, we develop a method to teach IoT in remote settings where students can experience hands-on IoT training in remote settings. We experimentally evaluate the virtual laboratory by comparing student outcomes in a traditional setting using physical materials to those using the virtual laboratory. Results indicate that while student perceptions were lower for students using the virtual laboratory, this virtual laboratory was successful in offering students the means to perform hands-on IoT automation, with these students achieving equivalent performance metrics to those utilizing a traditional physical laboratory

QUANTUM INFORMATION SYSTEMS: HARNESSING INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP ENERGIES

In this working paper, we propose that an organization is a living organism that generates energy to achieve certain outcomes. We propose that the relationship between the inputs (individual and group use of information systems) and the outputs (strategic alignment and competitive advantage) of a system (an organization) depends on the basic principles of quantum mechanics. Specifically, we connect the neuroscience research that addresses qualia (individual) and quale (group) to the Management Information Systems (MIS) research. In this paper, we proffer our research objective, discuss our constructs, and present our interview process and survey items that we plan to conduct and administer

Applying a Layered Framework to Disaster Recovery

Building highly available information technology (IT) infrastructures has become critical to many corporations’ survival. However, the disaster recovery (DR) industry lacks a common enterprise framework to capitalize on the value that DR provides corporations due in part to inadequate conceptual frameworks for DR that can facilitate the alignment of corporate efforts toward corporate resiliency. To address this problem, we propose a new conceptualization for the DR of enterprise architecture. This conceptual framework comprises DR layers that describe the nature of DR and its related components from a functional and technical point of view. We discuss the benefits of these DR layers to DR teams and compare our approach to traditional thinking. Further, we present a case study, its findings, and their implications for DR. As a result, we demonstrate how our layered framework of enterprise architecture provides a unified understanding of the DR practice, which one can then use to support decision making and corporate alignment of the DR practice and its associated technology

A Qualitative Approach to Understand Unintentional Information Security Misbehaviors

Insiders within organizations increase the risk of security incidents through non-malicious intentions. Previous research extensively investigated potential factors in influencing intentional information security misbehaviors either malicious or non-malicious. However, potential causes rooted in unintentional information security misbehaviors are less known. Drawing on in-depth qualitative approach, this paper seeks to provide a rich understanding of why employees unintentionally violate information security policies. Interviews with employees and information security management teams are conducted across various industries. Following qualitative data analyses, we aim to identify possible organizational and human factors causing unintentional information security misbehaviors and explain to what degree each of these influencers is associated with certain misbehavior. This leads to achieving two main objectives of this study. First, to distinguish the motives of non-malicious unintentional insiders from non-malicious intentional insiders. Second, to challenge the existing knowledge and theoretical frameworks regarding insiders’ information security behaviors at the workplace

Exploring the Relationship between Perceptions of Agile Software Development and Technical Debt

In many fast-paced software development environments, there is a push to produce working software quickly in order to meet timely deadlines and fulfill project objectives. Currently, there is host of research on the positive effects of agile development use on software development project outcomes; however, many of the long-term consequences have not been fully examined. The concept of technical debt presents an opportunity to conceptualize and study such consequences. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between perceptions of agile software development methods and the accumulation of technical debt. We use preliminary interviews to learn about how developers understand this relationship. We then use these insights to design a field study to gain further insight into the impact of software development methods on technical debt

Applying Cyber Range Concepts of Operation to Disaster Recovery Testing. A Case Study

A critical component of disaster recovery planning is testing, which involves verification of the effectiveness of the disaster recovery solutions. Currently, there are several limitations that plague disaster testing efforts such as the inability to create realistic disaster scenarios and test them in a production environment. Cyber Range Concept of Operations (CONOPS) present an opportunity for overcoming these challenges. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the application of Cyber Range CONOPS to disaster recovery testing. We use a case study approach to observe the development of a disaster recovery program in a large enterprise. We seek to gain an insight into the design and implementation of a disaster recovery program, using the concept of Cyber Ranges