Impact of Software Complexity on Development Productivity

With increasing demands on software functions, software systems become more and more complex. This complexity is one of the most pervasive factors affecting software development productivity. Assessing the impact of software complexity on development productivity helps to provide effective strategies for development process and project management. Previous research literatures have suggested that development productivity declines exponentially with software complexity. Borrowing insights from cognitive learning psychology and behavior theory, the relationship between software complexity and development productivity was reexamined in this paper. This research identified that the relationship partially showed a U-shaped as well as an inverted U-shaped curvilinear tendency. Furthermore, the range of complexity level that is beneficial for productivity has been presented, in which, the lower bound denotes the minimum degree of complexity at which personnel can be motivated, while the upper bound shows the maximum extent of complexity that staff can endure. Based on our findings, some guidelines for improving personnel management of software industry have also been given.

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