Quality assurance and software process improvement in Norway

Abstract

Activities to improve the quality of software products and development practices have been in the focus of both academics and practitioners for quite a while. Little is however known about the actual utilisation of the different techniques and methods. To remedy this lack of knowledge, a study investigating the diffusion and adoption of such routines within Norwegian software development organisations has been performed. This paper presents a "snapshot", profiling the current users of these methods in Norway. The situation is interpreted with perspectives from diffusion theory and organisation theory. Paths for improving the diffusion and adoption process is suggested on the basis of the interpretation.