The aim of this study is to investigate whether a combination of agile system development methodologies (ASDMs) and project management methodologies (PMMs) can be used to develop a hybrid APMM that will have the ability to deliver information technology (IT) projects successfully in a constantly changing business and project environment.
To achieve this objective, a literature review was conducted on the relatively well–established ASDMs by firstly defining a SDM and an ASDM. Each ASDM and its effectiveness are described, after which ASDMs in general are evaluated by considering their area of application, advantages and disadvantages. A comparison is then done of the seven different ASDMs using the four elements of an SDM (Huisman & Iivari, 2006:32) to emphasise some of the main similarities and differences amongst the different ASDMs. The seven ASDMs investigated in this study are Dynamic System Development Methodology, Scrum, Extreme Programming, Feature Driven
Development, Crystal ASDMs ? Crystal Clear and Crystal Orange in particular, Adaptive Software
Development and Lean Development.
A literature review was also conducted on two structured and relatively well–established PMMs,
PMBOK and PRINCE2, and a relatively new PMM called Agile Project Management. Each PMM is
evaluated by considering their area of application, advantages, disadvantages and integration with
other methodologies, after which a comparison is made of the different PMMs.
The research was conducted by following a mixed methods research plan, which included the
mixed methods research paradigm (combination of the interpretive research paradigm and the
positivistic research paradigm), research methods (design science, case study and survey),
quantitative and qualitative data–collection techniques (interviews and questionnaires), and dataanalysis
techniques (cross–case and statistical).
The reasons that projects fail and critical project success factors were studied and summarised to
form the critical project success criteria, which were used to create the agile project success criteria. The ASDM best practice and PMM best practice frameworks were created by identifying
whether a certain ASDM or PMM would satisfy a specific agile project success factor (APSF) of the
agile project success criteria. The findings of each APSF in the respective frameworks were used
as a foundation to develop a hybrid APMM (ver. 0) that would address the agile project success
criteria. The hybrid APMM (ver. 0) was developed interpretively using design science (research
approach) and constructivism by combining the strengths, addressing the weaknesses and bridging
the gaps identified in the frameworks.
The hybrid APMM (ver. 0) was then evaluated and improved by conducting an interpretive case
study, which entailed interviewing participants from large and small organisations. Once the
qualitative data collected had been analysed using cross–case analysis, the findings were
incorporated in order to create an improved hybrid APMM (ver. 1).
The hybrid APMM (ver. 1) too was evaluated and improved by conducting a survey, which entailed
administering questionnaires to various respondents in order to collect quantitative and qualitative
data. The findings of the statistical analysis of the data were also used to improve the hybrid APMM
(ver. 1), resulting in the final hybrid APMM (ver. 2).
This study demonstrates that a combination of ASDMs and PMMs can be used to develop a hybrid
APMM with the ability to deliver IT projects in a constantly changing project and business
environment. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Computer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/7004 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Grey, Johannes |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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