1. Mary Lynn Manns University of North Carolina at Asheville SMA 2009 November, 2009

2.  Software development patterns  Research study: factors that influence the use of patterns among individuals in organizations  Research design involving quantitative and qualitative methods

3.  Facilitate: Knowledge Management  Provide: a structure (and a process) for documenting successful practices in software development and management  Each pattern: describes a verified solution to a common problem  Purpose: to increase productivity through reuse

4. The goal of patterns within the software community is to create a body of literature to help software developers resolve recurring problems encountered throughout all of software development. Patterns help create a shared language for communicating insight and experience about these problems and their solutions. Appleton, 2000

5.  A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction (Alexander, 1977)  Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Gamma, Helm, Johnson, & Vlissides, 1994)  The Manager Pool: Patterns for Radical Leadership (Olson & Stimmel, 2001)  Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas (Manns & Rising, 2005)

6. What factors influence the use of patterns among individuals in organizations?

7. A theory-building field study… DOI Initial Model & Propositions survey Factors & General Guidelines Member checking Revised Model & Operational Guidelines

8.  Diffusion: “the process by which an innovation is communicated through channels over time among members of a social system”  Framework: for predicting the amount of time it will take an innovation to be adopted by individuals in a social system  Focus on: social-communication perspective  Connection between: individual’s perception of an innovation and his/her use of it

9. DependentIndependent  Pattern Use ◦ Use only in own work ◦ Use in groups ◦ Use by writing  + relative advantage  + compatibility  + ease of use  + trialability  + result demonstrability  + visibility  + image  - voluntariness  + champion  + opinion leader  + change agent  + training*  + patterns repository*  + installed process*  + innovativeness

11.  Operational definitions of constructs from past studies (e.g. Kishore 1999; Moore 1991; Moore&Benbesat 1991; Green 1999)  7-point Likert scale  Homogenous sampling (Baroudi 1989; Sawyer 1981; Mahmood 1991)  130 respondents @ 130 different locations

12.  Descriptive statistics  Multiple regression ◦ Factor level ◦ Construct Group level  Correlation analysis

13.  Use only in own work ◦ + Relative Advantage ◦ + Result Demonstrability ◦ + Trialability ◦ - Voluntariness ◦ + Innovativeness ◦ - Installed Process  Use in groups ◦ + Visibility ◦ + Compatibility ◦ + Opinion Leader  Use by writing ◦ + Patterns Repository ◦ + Result Demonstrability ◦ + Relative Advantage

15. A theory-building field study… DOI Initial Model & Propositions survey Factors & General Guidelines Member checking Revised Model & Operational Guidelines

16.  Requested feedback on survey findings from the 130 respondents who provided the data: ◦ 10 factors in revised model ◦ General Guidelines  To provide confirmation and further insight on the quantitative data  Contributed to Operational Guidelines

17.  General Guideline 10: Any of the following is likely to play a part in the organization’s ability to increase the visibility for patterns: a champion, a change agent, an opinion leader for patterns, a patterns repository, an installed process for patterns. However, the visibility of these factors may also play a part in increasing the perception that the use of patterns not voluntary in the organization.  Member Checking: Be cautious about too much “noise” or hype which can prompt a reaction against “overmarketing.” Make patterns visible in meetings, documentation and training.  Operational Guideline: An organization should find effective ways to make patterns visible throughout the organization without creating the impression of pressure or hyperactive marketing.

18.  Organizations cannot simply talk about relative advantage--must also demonstrate how patterns help meet individual and organizational goals

19.  Challenges in showing compatibility: ◦ Belief that there is no need for patterns because software engineering is a well-defined discipline ◦ Patterns descriptions are too obscure ◦ Inability of people to see similarities between solutions captured in patterns and the problems they face  Operational Guideline: An organization should overcome the misperception that there is no need for patterns in software engineering by showing individuals and teams how patterns can apply to the problems they are trying to solve.

20.  Highest correlation with innovativeness and training ◦ Profile of the person who is likely to conduct trials - innovative ◦ Training may offer best opportunity for people to try out patterns  “The fastest way to introduce patterns into a company is for some project to use them, succeed, and offer some credit to the use of patterns.”

21. InnovativenessOpinion Leader  Organizations can widen the influence of “innovators” only if their role as an opinion leader is supported by management.  Those attempting to be opinion leaders claim that it is difficult. The lack of understanding of the benefits of patterns prompts the belief that they are doing something obscure. Operational Guideline: An organization should encourage managers to support opinion leaders and others who are building the grass roots effort for patterns.

22.  Managers who have too much involvement or who clearly express their preferences create a strong impression that there is a lack of choice.  Too much management control makes developers resentful and resist the effort.  Managers should provide support--remove barriers and provide incentives. Operational Guideline: Management in an organization should find an appropriate level of support for patterns that will help the effort rather than give the impression the use of patterns is being mandated.

23.  Lowest mean of all independent variables.  Usually a grass roots effort; management views it as opportunistic, second to product delivery.  Management needs to address: political issues, training, hosting, quality submissions, and the promotion of patterns.

24.  Negative influence on “use only in own work”  Pattern use is seen as something that helps developers become better at their individual jobs.

25.  An extension of Diffusion of Innovation research applied to the adoption of patterns  An empirically supported model that provides a testable theoretical framework for the use of patterns  A theory-building approach that combines quantitative and qualitative methods  A set of operational guidelines to aid organizations wishing to promote pattern use

26. Mary Lynn Manns University of North Carolina at Asheville manns@unca.edu http://www.cs.unca.edu/~manns

27.  An organization should demonstrate the relative advantages of patterns to individuals.  An organization should offer opportunities for individuals to try out patterns before using them in their own work.  An organization should show that patterns are useful to innovators.  An organization should allow time for innovative individuals to learn about patterns.  Management in an organization should find an appropriate level of support for patterns that will help the effort rather than give the impression the use of patterns is being mandated.

28.  An organization should overcome the misperception that there is no need for patterns in software engineering by showing individuals and teams how patterns can apply to the problems they are trying to solve.  An organization should find effective ways to make patterns visible throughout the organization without creating the impression of pressure or hyperactive marketing.  An organization should identify different types of opinion leaders to spread the word to others about patterns.

29.  An organization can use a patterns repository to stimulate pattern writing and thus sustain the general adoption process.  An organization should help individuals understand pattern descriptions.  An organization should help individuals to see the costs as well as the benefits of using specific patterns and to understand that a pattern is not used as an “out of the box” solution.  An organization should create ways to help individuals locate the patterns they need for the problems they are trying to solve.

30.  An organization should teach patterns in the context of where they are relevant to the work individuals are doing.  An organization should make managers aware of patterns.  An organization should address the concerns of management that patterns have too much risk and have unknown long-term benefits.  An organization should encourage managers to support opinion leaders and others who are building the grass roots effort for patterns.  An organization should consider establishing a change agent to provide a consistent force in creating and keeping interest in patterns.