Exploring the determinants of software process improvement success: A dynamic capability view

Abstract

Existing studies indicate that external knowledge exploration plays a critical role in software process improvement (SPI) success. However, how external SPI knowledge is utilized internally within firms for continual improvements under an organization’s changing environments is still unclear. To address this question, this research uses the dynamic capabilities theory, by focusing on absorptive capacity (AC) – a knowledge-based dynamic capability – and its contextual influence, due to organizational climate, to explore and examine a firm’s ability to achieve and sustain SPI success. Specifically, we develop a model that considers cohesion, innovation and autonomy climates, to further explore how organizational climate influences AC. A survey is conducted to examine the model, by analyzing 125 Chinese and Taiwanese firms certified with Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), a recognized SPI program. Results suggest that cohesion, innovation and autonomy climates positively influence AC, which ultimately can lead to SPI success. In particular, among the three climates, cohesion climate plays a more dominant role in contributing to AC.

Knowledge-Based Dynamic Capabilities for Sustainable Innovation: The Case of the Green Plastic Project

“…In another perspective/level of the analysis, Han and Chen [26] observed the performance in innovation of Chinese industrial clusters, from the capacity of knowledge sharing of companies. Lee and Chen [25] focused on KBDC's knowledge absorption in software development in China. Monferrer, Blesa and Ripolles [21] evaluated KBDC in Spanish born globals.…”

“…KBDC studies are recent and quite promising [20]. The research developed on this theme commonly uses the quantitative approach, focusing on assessing the relationship between KBDC and performance in innovation [19,[21][22][23][24][25][26]. Qualitative empirical studies of KBDC are still scarce [27,28].…”

The effect of process tailoring on software project performance: The role of team absorptive capacity and its knowledge‐based enablers

“…SPT effectiveness referred to the quality of the tailoring decisions, and its measurement items were established based on Xu and Ramesh (2008), Slaughter et al (2006) and Dooley and Fryxell (1999). Further, a referent shift approach was applied for the measurements (Kuenzi & Schminke, 2009; Lee & Chen, 2019a) to modify the focal referent from the organisation (ie, “this firm”) to the project (ie, “the project”). We also consulted the two SPT studies (ie, Xu and Ramesh (2008) and Slaughter et al (2006)), and we fine‐tuned the expressions of the measurement items to fit the SPT context.…”

Measuring Value-Added-Oriented Bim Climate in Construction Projects: Dimensions and Indicators

“…With the application of BIM to training, train focus can be measured by providing adequate BIM training (PA-BIM-T), allocating sufficient time for BIM training (AST-BIM-T), encourage in-depth BIM training (ED-BIM-T), and conducting helpful BIM training (CH-BIM-T). The development of new sets of indicators for autonomy should consider such elements as work activities, work procedures, ways of doing jobs, decisions involved in jobs, and information initiative (Durcikova et al, 2011;Janz, 1999;Lee & Chen, 2019;Llopis & Foss, 2016;Patterson et al, 2005). Therefore, this study transforms these elements into scheduling work activities with BIM (SWA-BIM), determining work procedures with BIM (DWP-BIM), seeking the best ways of jobs with BIM (SBW-BIM), making work-related decisions with BIM (MWD-BIM), and owning work-related information initiative with BIM (OWII-BIM).…”