Weighing the benefits and costs of flexibility in making software: toward a contingency theory of the determinants of development process design

In recent years, flexibility has emerged as a divisive issue in discussions about the appropriate design of processes for making software. Partisans in both research and practice argue for and against plan-based and agile approaches. The stakes in this debate are high; questions raised about plan-based approaches undermine longstanding claims that those approaches, when realized, represent maturity of practice. In this commentary, the authors call for research programs that will move beyond partisan disagreement to a more nuanced discussion, one that takes into account both benefits and costs of flexibility. Key to such programs will be the development of a robust contingency framework for deciding when plan-based and agile methods should be used. Although they are not the first to argue in favor of a contingency perspective, they show that there remain many opportunities for information systems research to have a major impact on practice in this area.