An examination of relationships among employee commitment, the implementation of software-based technological change processes, and project success
Authors: Marshall Sashkin
Venue:  (2008)

This study explored the relationships among: (1) implementation of a software-based technology change process (SBTCP), (2) employee commitment, and (3) project success. In this study, a documented software process, the system development methodology (SDM), was used as the software-based technology process. This mixed design study was conducted in a software development and distribution organization in the southeastern United States.Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to collect and analyze the data. The quantitative component of this study included the following three measures. Employee commitment was measured using a revised version of the Meyer and Herscovitch (2002) instrument to measure three commitment dimensions (affective, normative, continuance) proposed by Meyer and Allen (1991). Implementation of the SBTCP was measured using an instrument that assesses the degree to which the projects successfully implemented elements of the process. Project success was measured using seven variables: on-time delivery, on-budget completion, conformance to requirements, meeting quality objectives, meeting business needs, meeting post-implementation defect counts, and meeting return-on-investment objectives. Correlational and regression analyses were used to test relationships at individual and project levels between (1) employee commitment and the degree of SDM implementation, (2) employee commitment and project success, and (3) the implementation of SDM and project success. The qualitative component was conducted as the projects neared completion to more fully explain the results of the quantitative component. A total of 12 in-depth interviews were conducted to determine how the executives, managers, and team members experienced the implementation of the SDM. The quantitative findings of this study indicated that no significant relationships were found between the three commitment dimensions and successful SDM process implementation. Similarly, no significant relationships were found between the three commitment dimensions and project success. Nonetheless, the degree of SDM implementation was found to be significantly related to measures of project success. The qualitative findings showed that SDM was generally accepted by organizational subcultures (executives, managers, team members). These findings also suggest that SDM may not fit all types of software projects. Thus, the results may mean that higher commitment might be achieved if the SDM were modified to support more agile software development practices. This study's questions were based on the premise that commitment, regardless of the dimension, would be associated with the degree of SDM implementation and project success. Although no such relationships were found, further commitment-based research is encouraged to examine the relevance of commitment when organizations attempt to institutionalize software-based processes. This study joins the conversation that promotes the need to couple organizational learning practices with the implementation of software-based technological change processes. Specifically, this study offers a unique perspective on the practical as well as the theoretical, using quantitative analyses while also applying qualitative inquiry to strengthen the interpretation of the findings.