An empirical validation of a contingency model for information require-ments determination

A contingency model for system development was subjected to several conceptual and operational adjustments and empirical tests. According to the model, there should be a degree of fit between development project uncertainty and the strategy for determining information requirements, ranging from accepting initial requirements statements to experimenting with prototypes to discover requirements. This study introduced a new IRD strategy construct that focused on the extent of interaction between users and developers. The study also differentiated between perceptual and evidential outcomes, between process and product outcomes, and between users' and developers' points of view. The hypotheses predicted that the degree of fit between project uncertainty and the IRD strategy would account for perceptual and evidential project outcomes from both the user's and developer's points of view. Results indicated that only by relying on the new extent of interaction construct, was support found. From the developers' standpoint, the degree of fit appeared to be related to perceptual assessments of the process and product. From the user's standpoint, the degree of fit was only related to perceptual assessments of the process. There was no support for the hypothesized impact of fit on evidential outcomes.