Jayesh Prasad

A Conceptual and Operational Definition of Personal Innovativeness in the Domain of Information Technology

The acceptance of new information technologies by their intended users persists as an important issue for researchers and practitioners of information systems. Several models have been developed in the literature to facilitate understanding of the process by which new information technologies are adopted. This paper proposes a new construct that further illuminates the relationships explicit in the technology acceptance models and describes an operational measure for this construct that possesses desirable psychometric properties. The construct, personal innovativeness in the domain of information technology, is hypothesized to exhibit moderating effects on the antecedents as well as the consequences of individual perceptions about a new information technology. The construct was developed and validated in the context of the innovation represented by the World-Wide Web. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

A field study of the adoption of software process innovations by information systems professionals

With spiraling demand for applications software, the adoption of software development process innovations by systems developers represents a problem of considerable magnitude confronting information systems managers. We report the results of a study focused on the issue of facilitating the movement of experienced COBOL programmers to become users of the C programming language. The study, conducted at a major financial services firm, is based upon a behavioral model of the acceptance of innovations that derives its foundations from research in social psychology, information technology acceptance, and innovation adoption. The model posits a relationship between beliefs about a target new technology and the subsequent adoption of the technology. Beliefs, in turn, are hypothesized to be influenced by a variety of external factors such as training and individual characteristics. Results suggest that certain beliefs do play a central role in determining acceptance behavior. Results also point to external factors such as organizational tenure, prior technical knowledge, training experiences, and perceived job insecurity that have significant effects on these beliefs. Theoretical and practical implications that follow are discussed.

Information system cost estimating: a management perspective

Information systems cost estimating is an important management concern. An estimate helps to costjustify individual proposals, to schedule their development, to staff them, to control and monitor theirprogress, and to evaluate estimators and implementers. Through a case study of a chemical manufacturer, the investigation reported in this article facilitates a better understanding of the management of the cost estimating process. Interviews with 17 information systems managers and staff members, and four user managers confirm that the practice of cost estimating can be viewed in terms of both a Rational Model and a Political Model, can identify impediments to accurate estimating, and can provide suggestions and warnings for managers and future researchers.

Information systems software cost estimating: a current assessment

A study of information systems managers and other information systems professionals at 112 different organizations confirmed that information systems software cost estimating is an important concern. Subjects reported the completion of only one of every four systems development projects within their estimates. According to them, the major cause of inaccurate estimates was changes in user requirements. Organizations using sophisticated cost estimating software packages were less successful at preventing large cost overruns than organizations not using them. However, the use of the estimator as system developer, the careful monitoring of systems development projects, and the inclusion in performance evaluations of success in meeting estimates were associated with more accurate cost estimating.

Beyond stereotypes of IT professionals: implications for IT HR practices

IT professionals are complicated---managers need to go beyond stereotypes to truly understand them.

A causal model for software cost estimating error

Software cost estimation is an important concern for software managers and other software professionals. The hypothesized model in this research suggests that an organizations use of an estimate influences its estimating practices which influence both the basis of the estimating process and the accuracy of the estimate. The model also suggests that the estimating basis directly influences the accuracy of the estimate. A study of business information systems managers and professionals at 112 different organizations using causal analysis with the Equations Modeling System (EQS) refined the model. The refined model shows that no managerial practice in this study discourages the use of intuition, guessing and personal memory in cost estimating. Although user commitment and accountability appear to foster algorithm-based estimating, such an algorithmic basis does not portend greater accuracy. Only one managerial practice-the use of the estimate in performance evaluations of software managers and professionals-presages greater accuracy. By implication, the research suggests somewhat ironically that the most effective approach to improve estimating accuracy may be to make estimators, developers and managers more accountable for the estimate even though it may be impossible to direct them explicitly on how to produce a more accurate one.

Risks of rapid application development

Proliferating information systems (IS) application development backlogs and everescalating business demands for applications software have resulted in a constant search by IS organizations for paradigms and tools that accelerate the pace of software development. Along with rapid application development (RAD), technologies such as CASE, object-oriented development, client/server computing, and flexible middleware are being hailed as potential solutions to the software crisis [11]. Although industry experience with these paradigms is mixed, the benefits of such technologies are acknowledged—at least with regard to improvements in development productivity and application delivery times [3]. While no universal definition of RAD exists, it can be characterized in two ways: as a methodology prescribing certain phases in software development (similar in principle to the spiral, iterative models of software construction), and as a class of tools that allow for speedy object development, graphical user interfaces, and reusable code for client/server applications. Indeed, the tools and methodology are inextricably linked: the tools enable the methodology and circumscribe what is accomplished during a development project. In a world dominated by deadlines and irate users, where competitive advantage can depend on how quickly software is developed to support new business, RAD is certainly appealing. The popular press extols its virtues with adjectives like “evolutionary,” “iterative,” “interactive,” and “dynamic,” emphasizing the delivery rate increases facilitated by RAD, which range from 25% to 1,000% [4]. But software development does not conclude with speedy application delivery. For the true benefits of the technology to be realized, the applications must exhibit reusability and maintainability so that total life-cycle costs are reduced. Surprisingly little time has been spent determining if the value of RAD tools to business extends beyond the

Software management and cost estimating error

Abstract Software cost estimating is an important concern for software managers and other software professionals. The hypothesized model in this research suggests that an organizations use of an estimate influences its estimating practices which influence both the basis of the estimating process and the accuracy of the estimate. The model also suggests that the estimating basis directly influences the accuracy of the estimate. A study of business information systems managers and professionals at 112 different organizations refined the model. The refined model shows that no managerial practice in this study discourages the use of intuition, guessing, and personal memory in cost estimating. Although user commitment and accountability appear to foster algorithm-based estimating, such an algorithmic basis does not portend greater accuracy. Only one managerial practice – the use of the estimate in performance evaluations of software managers and professionals – presages greater accuracy. By implication, the research suggests somewhat ironically that the most effective approach to improve estimating accuracy may be to make estimators, developers, and managers more accountable for the estimate even though it may be impossible to direct them explicitly on how to produce a more accurate one.

Systems development and cost estimating: challenges and guidelines

Systems development cost estimating is a critical challenge for most IS managers. Inaccurate low estimates result in overruns and can reduce senior managements confidence in IS. Inaccurate high estimates can dissuade corporate management from funding worthwhile IS projects. If cost estimates are entered into a corporate budget, management may be even more concerned about them. The cost-estimating practices in effect at 115 organizations were studied to determine why cost estimating remains such a challenge for IS managers and to devise some guidelines to help IS management arrive at more accurate estimates.

Training experiences and usage intentions: a field study of a graphical user interface

Abstract User perceptions about the attributes of an information system have been found to be good predictors of system utilization intentions. This paper explores the effects of an important intervention, user training, on the development of user perceptions about a target system. The theoretical model underlying the study postulates that two other classes of variables-situational and individual-moderate the relationship between training and user perceptions. Predicted usage behavior, measured through intended use of the system in the future, is, in turn, predicated upon perceptions of the system. We present the results of a field study of 230 users conducted to examine the impacts of training on the development of user perceptions about a graphical user interface, Microsoft Windows, and the relationship between user perceptions and system use. Two different types of training experiences, formal training and self training, were investigated. Results show that user perceptions are reasonable predictors of usage intentions, and that training experiences moderated by several individual variables play an important role in the development of user perceptions. Recommendations for the design of user training programs as well as for future research are offered.