Investigating Information System Development, Behavior and Business Knowledge Impact on Project Success: Quantitative Analysis

Resource-based theory provided the theoretical foundation to investigate the extent that developer knowledge correlated to success of information technology (IT) development projects. Literature indicated there was a knowledge gap in understanding whether developer information system development, behavior and business knowledge contributed to IT project success. The research question, to what extent does developer information system development knowledge, developer behavior and developer business knowledge predict IT project success, was developed to increase the understanding of developer knowledge and project success. Descriptive statistics (frequency percentages, measures of central tendency, and variance) and SPSSRTM regression linear report options were used in the data analysis. A nonexperimental correlational design was used in the study. Multiple regression correlation analysis was used to analyze the significance of the relationship between developer knowledge areas and project success. The sample frame was composed of IT project managers that led development projects and could describe the developer knowledge areas and project success they observed in their last IT project. A total of 90 IT project managers participated in the survey. Project managers that met the inclusion criteria and agreed to the informed consent were given access to a web based survey. Information system development knowledge and behavior knowledge were predictors of project success and accounted for 41% of the variability of the dependent variable. However, project managers did not view developer business knowledge as important in their last project. Future research can be enhanced to include the project methodology and to make the survey questions two dimensional with the scale applied to more than one role in an IT project.