An Investigation into Factors Affecting the Adoption of Software Development Patterns

1
An Investigation into Factors Affecting the
Adoption of Software Development Patterns

• Mary Lynn Manns
• University of North Carolina at Asheville
• SMA 2009
• November, 2009

2
Highlights of this Presentation

• Software development patterns
• Research study factors that influence the use
  of patterns among individuals in organizations
• Research design involving quantitative and
  qualitative methods

3
Software Development Patterns

• Facilitate Knowledge Management
• Provide a structure (and a process) for
  documenting successful practices in software
  development and management
• Each pattern describes a verified solution to a
  common problem
• Purpose to increase productivity through reuse

4
Software Development Patterns

• The goal of patterns within the software
  community is to create a body of literature to
  help software developers resolve recurring
  problems encountered throughout all of software
  development. Patterns help create a shared
  language for communicating insight and experience
  about these problems and their solutions.
• Appleton, 2000

5
Pattern examples

• A Pattern Language Towns, Buildings,
  Construction (Alexander, 1977)
• Design Patterns Elements of Reusable
  Object-Oriented Software (Gamma, Helm, Johnson,
  Vlissides, 1994)
• The Manager Pool Patterns for Radical
  Leadership (Olson Stimmel, 2001)
• Fearless Change Patterns for Introducing New
  Ideas (Manns Rising, 2005)

6
Research Question

• What factors influence the
• use of patterns
• among individuals
• in organizations?

7
Research Design

• A theory-building field study

Factors General Guidelines
DOI
Initial Model Propositions
survey
Member checking
Revised Model Operational Guidelines
8
DOI Diffusion of Innovation E.M. Rogers

• Diffusion the process by which an innovation
  is communicated through channels over time among
  members of a social system
• Framework for predicting the amount of time it
  will take an innovation to be adopted by
  individuals in a social system
• Focus on social-communication perspective
• Connection between individuals perception of
  an innovation and his/her use of it

9
Variables

• relative advantage
• compatibility
• ease of use
• trialability
• result demonstrability
• visibility
• image
• - voluntariness
• champion
• opinion leader
• change agent
• training
• patterns repository
• installed process
• innovativeness

• Pattern Use
• Use only in own work
• Use in groups
• Use by writing

• Dependent

• Independent

10
Initial Model
11
Survey

• Operational definitions of constructs from past
  studies (e.g. Kishore 1999 Moore 1991
  MooreBenbesat 1991 Green 1999)
• 7-point Likert scale
• Homogenous sampling (Baroudi 1989 Sawyer 1981
  Mahmood 1991)
• 130 respondents _at_ 130 different locations

12
Quantitative

• Descriptive statistics
• Multiple regression
• Factor level
• Construct Group level
• Correlation analysis

13
Survey Results

• Use only in own work
• Relative Advantage
• Result Demonstrability
• Trialability
• - Voluntariness
• Innovativeness
• - Installed Process
• Use in groups
• Visibility
• Compatibility
• Opinion Leader
• Use by writing
• Patterns Repository
• Result Demonstrability
• Relative Advantage

14
Revised Model
15
Research Design

• A theory-building field study

Factors General Guidelines
DOI
Initial Model Propositions
survey
Member checking
Revised Model Operational Guidelines
16
Qualitative Member Checking

• Requested feedback on survey findings from the
  130 respondents who provided the data
• 10 factors in revised model
• General Guidelines
• To provide confirmation and further insight on
  the quantitative data
• Contributed to Operational Guidelines

17
Visibility

• General Guideline 10 Any of the following is
  likely to play a part in the organizations
  ability to increase the visibility for patterns
  a champion, a change agent, an opinion leader for
  patterns, a patterns repository, an installed
  process for patterns. However, the visibility of
  these factors may also play a part in increasing
  the perception that the use of patterns not
  voluntary in the organization.
• Member Checking Be cautious about too much
  noise or hype which can prompt a reaction
  against overmarketing. Make patterns visible in
  meetings, documentation and training.
• Operational Guideline An organization should
  find effective ways to make patterns visible
  throughout the organization without creating the
  impression of pressure or hyperactive marketing.

18
Relative Advantage andResult Demonstrability

• Organizations cannot simply talk about relative
  advantage--must also demonstrate how patterns
  help meet individual and organizational goals

19
Compatibility

• Challenges in showing compatibility
• Belief that there is no need for patterns because
  software engineering is a well-defined discipline
• Patterns descriptions are too obscure
• Inability of people to see similarities between
  solutions captured in patterns and the problems
  they face
• Operational Guideline An organization should
  overcome the misperception that there is no need
  for patterns in software engineering by showing
  individuals and teams how patterns can apply to
  the problems they are trying to solve.

20
Trialability

• Highest correlation with innovativeness and
  training
• Profile of the person who is likely to conduct
  trials - innovative
• Training may offer best opportunity for people to
  try out patterns
• The fastest way to introduce patterns into a
  company is for some project to use them, succeed,
  and offer some credit to the use of patterns.

21
Innovativeness andOpinion Leader

• Those attempting to be opinion leaders claim that
  it is difficult. The lack of understanding of the
  benefits of patterns prompts the belief that they
  are doing something obscure.

• Organizations can widen the influence of
  innovators only if their role as an opinion
  leader is supported by management.

Operational Guideline An organization should
encourage managers to support opinion leaders and
others who are building the grass roots effort
for patterns.

• Innovativeness

• Opinion Leader

22
Voluntariness

• Managers who have too much involvement or who
  clearly express their preferences create a strong
  impression that there is a lack of choice.
• Too much management control makes developers
  resentful and resist the effort.
• Managers should provide support--remove barriers
  and provide incentives.

Operational Guideline Management in an
organization should find an appropriate level of
support for patterns that will help the effort
rather than give the impression the use of
patterns is being mandated.
23
Patterns Repository

• Lowest mean of all independent variables.
• Usually a grass roots effort management views it
  as opportunistic, second to product delivery.
• Management needs to address political issues,
  training, hosting, quality submissions, and the
  promotion of patterns.

24
Installed Process

• Negative influence on use only in own work
• Pattern use is seen as something that helps
  developers become better at their individual
  jobs.

25
Contribution

• An extension of Diffusion of Innovation research
  applied to the adoption of patterns
• An empirically supported model that provides a
  testable theoretical framework for the use of
  patterns
• A theory-building approach that combines
  quantitative and qualitative methods
• A set of operational guidelines to aid
  organizations wishing to promote pattern use

26
An Investigation into Factors Affecting the
Adoption of Software Development Patterns

• Mary Lynn Manns
• University of North Carolina at Asheville
• manns_at_unca.edu
• http//www.cs.unca.edu/manns

27
Operational Guidelines

• An organization should demonstrate the relative
  advantages of patterns to individuals.
• An organization should offer opportunities for
  individuals to try out patterns before using them
  in their own work.
• An organization should show that patterns are
  useful to innovators.
• An organization should allow time for innovative
  individuals to learn about patterns.
• Management in an organization should find an
  appropriate level of support for patterns that
  will help the effort rather than give the
  impression the use of patterns is being mandated.

28
Operational Guidelines (continued)

• An organization should overcome the misperception
  that there is no need for patterns in software
  engineering by showing individuals and teams how
  patterns can apply to the problems they are
  trying to solve.
• An organization should find effective ways to
  make patterns visible throughout the organization
  without creating the impression of pressure or
  hyperactive marketing.
• An organization should identify different types
  of opinion leaders to spread the word to others
  about patterns.

29
Operational Guidelines (continued)

• An organization can use a patterns repository to
  stimulate pattern writing and thus sustain the
  general adoption process.
• An organization should help individuals
  understand pattern descriptions.
• An organization should help individuals to see
  the costs as well as the benefits of using
  specific patterns and to understand that a
  pattern is not used as an out of the box
  solution.
• An organization should create ways to help
  individuals locate the patterns they need for the
  problems they are trying to solve.

30
Operational Guidelines (continued)

• An organization should teach patterns in the
  context of where they are relevant to the work
  individuals are doing.
• An organization should make managers aware of
  patterns.
• An organization should address the concerns of
  management that patterns have too much risk and
  have unknown long-term benefits.
• An organization should encourage managers to
  support opinion leaders and others who are
  building the grass roots effort for patterns.
• An organization should consider establishing a
  change agent to provide a consistent force in
  creating and keeping interest in patterns.