The practice of software development continues to evolve in the composition of development teams and the cross-functional nature of software. Managing the boundaries of the team is difficult under cross-functional requirements while at the same time retaining effective processes to arrive at creative systems. We employ boundary spanning theory to develop a model of activity for communications internal and external to the development team that effectively delivers a creative software product. Strengthening the boundary can improve both creativity and effectiveness, although with different activities. Spanning the team boundary promotes creative outcomes but impairs the effective performance of the project. The results show the importance of developing a comprehensive strategy for boundary management as activities can be either complementary or contradictory.

Risks related to users are a major concern in the development of information systems (IS). This study examines whether partnering efforts made between users and IS developers are successful in reducing the realization of user-related risks during system development. We employ risk factors identified in the literature to drive a confirmation of risk reduction via partnering efforts between users and developers. A survey of system development project managers provides the data for confirmation. Indications from the survey include risk reducing benefits from establishing problem resolution, continuous improvement, and common goals at the commencement of any new development project. This study highlights that a partnership between users and developers during the development process mitigates certain risks and improves eventual outcomes of IS development projects.

Risks must be controlled during the development of a new system in order to best promote success. However, resources that can be dedicated to controlling risks are often limited. To best design an effective and efficient portfolio of controls, it is important to understand if and how risks change during the course of a system development. Using a framework developed from socio-technical theories, we conduct a multiple case study to determine the pattern of risk dynamics through the stages of the development life cycle. Risks associated with structural concerns dominate and increase as the life cycle progress, while technology risks are not very common early, but become so later. Risks associated with tasks and actor are common and do not change much in incidence. The results indicate the value of the socio-technical model in identifying risks and how control portfolios should change over the course of a system development.

Career anchors represent personal desires of employees that must be satisfied in order for organizations to attract and retain good workers. Career stages represent advancements along the paths of employment that an individual can take through an organization or chain of organizations that represent professional growth and increased value to an organization. Though research is prevalent on career anchors and career stage models, works that look at changes in one as the other changes are missing from the literature. Due to that lack, it is usually concluded that anchors reflect changes in careers as Information systems (IS) employees advance through their career stages. However, expectancy-value theory leads us to expect that the causality may be reversed, that career anchors change leading employees to value alternative positions more highly. Drawing on the career changes of 10 IS employees, we examine the changes in anchors through progressive career stages. While technical competence and security anchors are important at all stages of an IS career, managerial competence, geographic security, and autonomy become more important in the latter stages and are often adjusted prior to career movement. Management should account for these changes while designing jobs and incentives, while further research is required to confirm dominant patterns of change.

Information system (IS) managers have long recognised the need to use project management approaches in the design and delivery of their system development projects. The result has been the widespread use of project teams headed by a project leader or manager. However, given the fact that there has been a low success rate for IS projects, there is a growing need to seek out new methods and controls for projects. One approach involves the practice of altering the project environment prior to the commencement of project tasks. To determine whether such pre-project activities may be effective, a model is proposed and tested relating the activities to the performance of the project manager and characteristics of an effective project team. Data from a sample of 186 project team members indicate that the pre-project activities lead to more effective teams and managers and eventually to project success. Thus, it is important that organisations begin work on projects at an earlier stage.