In search of a Ciborra strategy for CMM- based software process improvement

Many organizations fail in implementing software process improvement by use of Capability Maturity Model (CMM) frameworks. Ciborra has argued that frameworks of this kind make managers confuse the real with the ideal, suggesting an alternative path towards improvement based on phenomenology, emphasising values like care, hospitality and cultivation. The hypothesis in this research is that there is not necessarily a conflict between CMM-based process improvement and a phenomenological approach. The hypothesis is tested by a literature review that looks at the philosophical foundations of CMM and phenomenology, identifying common foundations. The hypothesis is also tested empirically through a type of action research that is implied by the CMM framework, using academic culture as a representation of the values care, hospitality and cultivation, and showing how academic culture and practical success of CMM-like process improvement are mutually related in a series of case studies. The implication of the study is that developing an “academic culture” within industry is expected to have a positive impact on successful CMM implementation.