Assessing the Relevance of Organizational Culture in Software Process Improvement Initiatives

This study describes a survey carried out among researchers and practitioners in the software industry, aiming to determine which organizational values are most relevant to a software organization involved with a SPI initiative. Organizational values define the organizational culture of a company and they were extracted from typological models published in the technical literature by a secondary study (systematic literature review). The results of the survey indicate that the main organizational values for a software organization to be successful in the adoption/maintenance of an SPI initiative are: (1) being committed to the quality policy for products, services, and processes; (2) having the vision and goals well defined and established; and (3) imposing responsibilities on the team members for meeting deadlines and achieving goals. Also, it indicates the level of commitment and responsibilities of three different profiles of professionals as a factor for success in the adoption/maintenance of an SPI initiative.