The Necessity of Paradigms?

1
The Necessity of Paradigms?

• Is this really an impactful variable in systems
• development?

2
Definitions of Objectivist/Subjectivist Dimension

• Objectivist viewpoint - to apply models and
  methods derived from the natural sciences to the
  study of human affairs
• Subjectivist viewpoint - the lack of necessity of
  using natural sciences to study human affairs
  delves into depths of subjective experience of
  individuals

3
Definition of Order/Conflict Dimension

• Order - emphasizes a social world characterized
  by order, stability, integration, consensus, and
  functional coordination.
• Conflict - stresses change, conflict,
  disintegration, and coercion.

4
TheoryPresented by Hirschheim and Kline

• There are four paradigms
• functionalism
• social relativeism
• radical structuralism
• neohumanism
• A systems developer creates a system based on
  assumptions that are dependent upon his/her own
  paradigm.

5
Order
Social Relativism
Functionalism
Objectivism
Subjectivism
Radical Structuralism
Neohumanism
Conflict
Presented by Hirschheim and Kline
6
Hypotheses

• H0There is no difference in the distribution of
  people into each quadrant of Hirschman and
  Klines two dimensional representations of the
  four paradigms.
• H1 Functionalism is the predominate paradigm of
  systems developers, describing over 95 of the
  population of developers because the field is
  self-selecting.

7
Subjects

• Large companies such as Microsoft, Corel, and IBM
  will be chosen because they develop in house.
• Small companies, specializing in system
  development will be targeted because these
  programs are developed outside the company who
  will use them.

8
Survey

• A survey of 30 questions will be created
• 15 will measure objective/subjective scale
• 15 will measure chaos/control scale
• A Cronbachs Alpha test will be run on the survey
  to determine internal validity
• This survey will be based on the Myers-Briggs
  Type Indicator Test

9
Methodology

• 2000 surveys will be mailed out to systems
  development teams (users, analysts, and
  programmers)
• Once collected, each survey will be calculated to
  determine which paradigm underlies the persons
  beliefs
• The surveys will be divided between large and
  small company employees

10
Statistical Tests

• A t-test will be performed to determine if there
  is a significant difference between small and
  large company employees
• Score survey
• in further revision, possible different weights
  will be incorporated into survey item scoring

11
Significance

• If significant
• run a different study on each size company
• If not significant
• lump surveys together and treat as one group

12
Final Analysis

• Once surveys are scored, determine the percentage
  that fall within each quadrant.
• If gt 95, then reject hypothesis
• If lt 95, determine if the difference is
  significant by running a t-test on the results

13
Summary

• Create Survey with good internal validity
• Gather data
• Score surveys
• Determine if there exists a difference between
  responses from large and small company employees
  by running a t-test
• Calculate the percentage in each quadrant of
  Hirschmans and Klines model
• If less than 95 in quadrant 1, determine
  significance of actual result from predicted
  percent