A Mixed Method Approach to investigate the Antecedents of Software Quality and Information Systems Success in Canadian Software Development Firms

Abstract

For years software developers globally have struggled in their attempts to deliver high quality software products. In an effort to overcome the problem, there is a widely held view that people, process maturity and technology are the main determinants of software quality and information systems (IS) success. The researcher conducted a survey in Canada among software developers, which confirmed the notion that people, process maturity and technology are determinants of software quality and also that software quality and user perception are determinants of information systems success. In an attempt to gain deeper insights, a series of interviews were conducted among Canadian developers to identify other contributing factors to software quality and information systems success. The interviews revealed that organization climate, user training and education, expectation management and technical support can influence the quality and success of the delivered software product. Such insights can enhance the competitiveness of these firms.