An Evaluation of Software Development Practices among Small Firms in Developing Countries: A Test of a Simplified Software Process Improvement Model

An Evaluation of Software Development Practices among Small Firms in Developing Countries: A Test of a Simplified Software Process Improvement Model

Delroy Chevers, Annette M. Mills, Evan Duggan, Stanford Moore
ISBN13: 9781799830160|ISBN10: 1799830160|EISBN13: 9781799830177
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-3016-0.ch044
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MLA

Chevers, Delroy, et al. "An Evaluation of Software Development Practices among Small Firms in Developing Countries: A Test of a Simplified Software Process Improvement Model." Research Anthology on Recent Trends, Tools, and Implications of Computer Programming, edited by Information Resources Management Association, IGI Global, 2021, pp. 955-983. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3016-0.ch044

APA

Chevers, D., Mills, A. M., Duggan, E., & Moore, S. (2021). An Evaluation of Software Development Practices among Small Firms in Developing Countries: A Test of a Simplified Software Process Improvement Model. In I. Management Association (Ed.), Research Anthology on Recent Trends, Tools, and Implications of Computer Programming (pp. 955-983). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3016-0.ch044

Chicago

Chevers, Delroy, et al. "An Evaluation of Software Development Practices among Small Firms in Developing Countries: A Test of a Simplified Software Process Improvement Model." In Research Anthology on Recent Trends, Tools, and Implications of Computer Programming, edited by Information Resources Management Association, 955-983. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3016-0.ch044

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Abstract

For software development firms to be competitive they must assure the quality of the software product. This has led many firms to adopt software process improvement (SPI) programs such as the capability maturity model integration (CMMI). However, for small software firms, especially those in developing countries with limited resources, these programs are often too cumbersome and costly to implement. To address this issue, this paper proposes a simplified SPI model for small firms (SPM-S) comprised of 10 key software development practices; with fewer practices, the proposed model should be more accessible and less costly to implement. Using data collected in four developing countries in the English-speaking Caribbean from 112 developer/user dyads, the model is evaluated with respect to its impact on software quality. The findings show that the software development process coupled with supporting technology (e.g. project management tools) significantly impact software product quality. Implications for software process improvement in small firms and future research are discussed.

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