Standard method use in contemporary IS development: an empirical investigation

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to obtain an updated assessment of the use of standard methods in IS development practice in New Zealand, and to compare these practices to those reported elsewhere.Design/methodology/approach – A web‐based survey of IS development practices in New Zealand organisations with 200 or more full‐time employees was conducted. The results of the survey were compared to prior studies from other national contexts.Findings – The results suggest that levels of standard method use continue to be high in New Zealand organisations, although methods are often used in a pragmatic or ad hoc way. Further, the type of method used maps to a shift from bespoke development to system acquisition or outsourcing. Organisations that reported using standard methods perceived them to be beneficial to IS development in their recent IS projects, and generally disagreed with most of the published limitations of standard methods.Research limitations/implications – As the intent was to consider ...

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