Business Drivers That Influence Information Systems Development

BUSINESS DRIVERS THAT INFLUENCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE

BUSINESS DRIVERS THAT INFLUENCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE

Traditional software development research has tended to focus on issues of automation and efficiency while the management and information system (IS) innovation literature has a complementary but distinct focus on organizational innovations that use information technology (IT) as a driving force or catalyst. The research community has been slow to articulate and respond to the need for better understanding of software innovation. As a result, understanding the unique nature of software innovation and the factors that drive it is of considerable importance to both research and practice. Whereas large organizations such as Apple and Google are dependent on innovation to capture market share, small start-ups depend on innovation to carve out profitable market niches. They also point out that software development organizations are extremely diverse in nature, having very different innovation needs and styles. Software is intangible and highly malleable, has a low market entry threshold, and often depends on the input of users and experts.

argue that software innovation differs from other forms of innovation. The software industry is thus following the path of other engineering industries that have been moving routine tasks to developing countries, leaving developed countries to compete through innovation. Globalisation can shift software development activities to countries with lower labour costs while standardisation and industrialisation ensure that the functional scope of existing software can be readily extended through relatively modest changes performed by less skilled labour. Rose argues that the forces of globalisation, standardisation, and industrialisation are pressing software development firms in developed countries to become increasingly reliant on their innovation skills. This drives innovation toward the heart of the business strategies of software development organizations. Within the software development industry, the pace of technological change fosters a particular sense of urgency surrounding the need to innovate. Large organizations are appointing innovation managers and leading universities are establishing centres for innovation research. Innovation has become a mantra for organizations in almost every industry and for individuals working in almost every organizational function.

We then discuss the implications of this map for future research. We identify drivers and outputs for software innovation and develop an integrated theory-oriented concept map. We therefore identify 93 journal articles and conference papers within the domain of software innovation and analyse repeating patterns in this literature using content analysis and causal mapping. Specifically, little attention has been directed toward synthesizing prior learning or providing an integrative perspective on the key concepts and focus of software innovation research. As a result, there is a gap in our understanding of how software product and process innovation can be managed. However, the software development literature has traditionally focused on automation and efficiency while the innovation literature has given relatively little consideration to the software development context. Software innovation, the ability to produce novel and useful software systems, is an important capability for software development organizations and information system developers alike.

Business Drivers That Influence Information Systems Development