ISSD

The research article “Software Development Process Ambidexterity and Project Performance: A Coordination Cost-Effectiveness View“ has been accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. The work was done in cooperation of Karl Werder, Ye Li, and Prof. Maedche with Prof. Ramesh (Georgia State University). IEEE Transations on Software Engineering is a top journal in the field of software engineering and is interested in well-defined theoretical results and empirical studies that have potential impact on the construction, analysis, or management of software. 

“Software Development Process Ambidexterity and Project Performance: A Coordination Cost-Effectiveness View“ by Karl Werder, Ye Li, Alexander Maedche, and Balasubramaniam Ramesh

Abstract:
Software development process ambidexterity (SDPA) is the ability to demonstrate both process alignment and process adaptability simultaneously. Realizing process ambidexterity has recently been suggested as an effective approach to improving the performance of software development (SD) projects. To understand the mechanisms underlying the effects of ambidexterity, we focus in this study on the mediating effects of coordination, one of the most important activity in SD projects. Specifically, we hypothesize a mediating effect of coordination costs and coordination effectiveness on the relationship between SDPA and project performance. We conducted a quantitative study involving 104 SD projects across 10 firms to test the model. The results strongly suggest that the positive relationship between SDPA and project performance is negatively mediated by coordination costs and positively mediated by coordination effectiveness. We validate our research model with a case study in an organization employing several hundred IT professionals and derive several practical implications on this basis.