Rita de Cássia de Faria Pereira

MEASUREMENT IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING: FROM THE ROADMAP TO THE CROSSROADS

Research on software measurement can be organized around five key conceptual and methodological issues: how to apply measurement theory to software, how to frame software metrics, how to develop metrics, how to collect core measures, and how to analyze measures. The subject is of special concern for the industry, which is interested in improving practices — mainly in developing countries, where the software industry represents an opportunity for growth and usually receives institutional support for matching international quality standards. Academics are also in need of understanding and developing more effective methods for managing the software process and assessing the success of products and services, as a result of an enhanced awareness about the emergency of aligning business processes and information systems. This paper unveils the fundamentals of measurement in software engineering and discusses current issues and foreseeable trends for the subject. A literature review was performed within major academic publications in the last decade, and findings suggest a sensible shift of measurement interests towards managing the software process as a whole — without losing from sight the customary focus on hard issues like algorithm efficiency and worker productivity.

Self-efficacy and anxiety of digital natives in face of compulsory computer-mediated tasks

Digital limitations (or, conversely, digital capabilities) are a new way to frame the digital divide discourse in three dimensions: access, cognition and behavior. Digital limitations address an individuals barriers to properly access the information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as his/her cognitive disabilities and negative behaviors towards ICT use effectiveness. In a survey with 174 undergraduate students in a traditional state university in underdeveloped Northeastern Brazil who compulsorily use an institutional ICT-based academic system, we investigated the factorial structure and the relationship of two constructs that pertain to the cognitive dimension of digital limitations - computer self-efficacy and anxiety. Our findings address the negative correlation between the two constructs and the unanticipated proposition that both low and high levels of self-efficacy and anxiety do not signal per se the presence of cognitive digital limitations or capabilities. The levels of CSE and ANX may mean either digital limitations or capabilities.High CSE and low ANX do not necessarily promote voluntary technology use.Extremely high CSE and extremely low ANX may undermine technology use.Moderately low CSE and moderately high ANX may leverage technology use.Cognitive enablers must be promoted in state funded digital inclusion programs.

Até que os custos os separem: por que clientes e fornecedores estabelecem práticas relacionais para o desenvolvimento conjunto de projetos de software?

In spite of the fact that academics and practitioners pay significant attention to developing long-term ties in industry, there is little emphasis placed on the benefits stemming from such ties, particularly on value creation. Our study analyzes perceived relationship value from the perspective of dyads consisting of one customer and one supplier working together, as well as its dynamic nature in business relationships. The analytical framework was developed from relationship marketing theories with roots in economics, political science, organization sciences, sociology, social psychology and law. A qualitative study was conducted by way of in-depth interviews with representatives from 14 customer-supplier dyads in the prominent software sector established in Southern Brazil, The software sector was chosen because of its economic representativity, its viability for the application of relationship marketing phenomena to the context and because of other studies on the matter in this sector. The findings suggest that the acquisition of enterprise software brings benefits of many types to both customers and suppliers, and that, depending on the relational ties, such benefits can be further improved.

Cognition, Behavior, and Team Structure in Enterprise Systems Implementation: A Comparative Study

The METRICS framework was developed during a landmark enterprise-wide system implementation in a Brazilian university. It was designed as a tool for managing the social subsystem (cognition, behavior, and structure) of customer teams as they work with external technology and business teams. Our research draws on METRICS to verify the stability of cognitive, behavioral, and structural attributes that are expected to impact the performance of customer teams in projects. We compare two studies developed in different periods, with different methods, theories, projects, and types of teams, and in different geographical, cultural, and economic regions of Brazil—the south and the northeast. Data collection and analysis were based on personal constructs theory and the repertory grid technique applied to select information technology professionals from external teams (that worked with customer teams) in the northeast. With 77.3% (68/88) of the original measures verified empirically, the framework was considered stable across multiple settings. Given that enterprise-wide system implementation usually involves global technology vendors, and since Brazil is an illustrative case of Latin America and the developing world, our research contributes with insights into the social aspects of customer teams that impact project performance.

Information Technology Management Research in Brazil

We were introduced to JGITM in 2004, during the 5th Annual Global Information Technology Management Association (GITMA) World Conference held in San Diego, CA. Since then, we realized that the GITMA community was indeed global and enthusiastic about institutionalizing an arena for vigorous discussions on global IT management but interestingly, the South American academia seemed not to be aware of its existence and mission. So, when Dr. Palvia, GITMA President, offered Dr. Bellini the opportunity to serve as track chair for IT in South America in the following annual meetings, we were delighted with the perspective of promoting GITMA especially among our colleagues in Brazil.

Salesperson Performance and Commitment and Buyer Relational Behaviors as Antecedents of Buyer’s Desire for Business Relationship with Suppliers: An Abstract

Many account executives (AE) are responsible for expanding a buyer’s scope of business with suppliers and building relationships between the two parties to leverage mutual benefits. The AE plays a central role in developing relationships and is the focus of substantial investment by firms. The question this paper addresses is: How does the AE influence the buyer’s desire for a relationship with its suppliers?

O comportamento de consumo de tecnologias digitais pelo público feminino

The relationship between consumption behavior and gender has been a common interest in marketing studies. Whether from a biological perspective or from the perspective of gender identity, there is a correlation between the consumption of products or services and the fact that the consumer is a woman or a man. We investigated the consumption behavior of digital technologies by women through an exploratory study with in-depth interviews with 15 working women aged between 22 and 30 years. Content analysis revealed three profiles of female consumers: engaged, interested, and disinterested. Besides, mass media was revealed as an important source of influence on the purchasing process, and the Internet was identified as the main information source about the items to be purchased. Our research also shows that the interest about and the consumption of digital technologies by women are increasing. However, women are still in need of additional technical knowledge and the opinion of other people to feel more secure about purchasing technology. The findings address the relevance of studying the relationship between technology consumption and gender from the perspective of the consumer, the decision maker or the agent that exerts influence on the purchasing process.

Organizational structure and enterprise systems implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the structural design of customer teams (CuTes) working with external teams to implement customized information systems (IS). Design consists of theoretically based measures and a first set of real-world, empirical values. Design/methodology/approach – A search in the organizational literature suggested that the adhocracy is the preferred structure for CuTes. Adhocracy-like measures were then developed and applied to a high-performance CuTe to reveal a first benchmark for a team’s adhocratic design. Findings – High-performance CuTes do not necessarily implement the adhocratic principles to the highest degree. Research limitations/implications – It is still open whether all the structural measures described here are necessary and sufficient to describe the adhocracy-like structural design of CuTes. Practical implications – The CuTe is highlighted as the key incumbent of cooperation with the technology supplier and consultants in terms of project authority a...

From the repertoire of consumer behavior: retaliation and revenge in cyberspace

El advenimiento de la comunicacion mediada por computadora en el ciberespacio incremento la fuerza del consumidor, que paso a desarrollar los propios websites y a reunirse en comunidades virtuales para denunciar, protestar y rechazar publicamente fallas e injusticias realizadas en transacciones comerciales. Aunque haya fertil literatura sobre comunidades virtuales de marca, poco se estudia su antitesis - las comunidades virtuales antimarca. En este estudio se observa la necesidad de avanzar en el conocimiento de dicho tema, y se aportan nuevos datos a la investigacion sobre los motivos para represalias y venganza de consumidores, por medio del analisis de comportamientos efectivos de represalia y venganza de consumidores contra marcas, empresas, productos y servicios en comunidades virtuales. Por medio de un analisis netnografico, se estudiaron comunidades virtuales antimarca relacionadas con operadoras de telefonia movil. Fue posible identificar cuatro comportamientos de represalia (prevencion al consumo, ataque personal, amenaza y cinismo) y cinco de venganza (evasion de la marca, traicion, boicot, generacion de perdidas y activismo), de los cuales tres se presentan como supuestamente originales (amenaza, cinismo y activismo).

NAMORO OU AMIZADE? A VISÃO DE CLIENTES E FORNECEDORES SOBRE RELACIONAMENTOS DE NEGÓCIO NO SETOR DE SOFTWARE (doi:10.5329/RESI.2010.0902005)

The customer is always in focus in the software sector, but scant research exists on procuring or developing software from a market perspective, in particular with the lens of relationship marketing. Besides concentrating on customer needs, customers and suppliers should foster relationships that promote the creation of value and competitive advantages for both parties. This paper discusses findings from in-depth interviews with 14 customer-supplier dyads in the Brazilian software sector (28 companies) that provided insights into specific attributes of relationships (commitment, trust, adaptation, cooperation, and communication) and contextual factors that may amplify or moderate those attributes (uncertainty, interdependence, and the existence of alternative suppliers). Results include the technical nature of trust, the operational focus of communications, the relevance of personal bonds, and the creation of interdependencies between partners on the basis of intangible assets.