The Necessity of Paradigms?

Is this really an impactful variable in systems

development?

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

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.

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.

Objectivism Subjectivism

Order

Conflict

Functionalism

Radical

Structuralism

Social Relativism

Neohumanism

Presented by Hirschheim and Kline

HypothesesH0:There is no difference in the distribution

of people into each quadrant of Hirschman and Kline’s 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.

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.

Survey

• A survey of 30 questions will be created– 15 will measure objective/subjective scale– 15 will measure chaos/control scale

• A Cronbach’s Alpha test will be run on the survey to determine internal validity

• This survey will be based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test

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 person’s beliefs

• The surveys will be divided between large and small company employees

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

Significance:

• If significant– run a different study on each size company

• If not significant– lump surveys together and treat as one group

Final Analysis

• Once surveys are scored, determine the percentage that fall within each quadrant.

• If % > 95%, then reject hypothesis

• If % < 95%, determine if the difference is significant by running a t-test on the results

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 Hirschman’s and Kline’s model

• If less than 95% in quadrant 1, determine significance of actual result from predicted percent