An interpretive study of the contingent use of systems development methodologies in the telecommunications industry Z. Coetzee Hons. B.Sc Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Supervisor: Prof. H.M. Huisman November 2010 Abstract The telecommunication industry is dominating the world. Most recently there have been technological advancements made in mobile telecommunication. There are currently a few telecommunication organizations in South Africa. These organizations each have their own unique approach to service delivery. The strong competitive nature of the telecommunication industry is taking telecommunications in South Africa to greater heights. All these advancements necessitate the need for better security and controls of the telecommunications networks. RICA legislation was brought into effect to accomplish just this. The research focuses on the contingent use of systems development methodologies in the telecommunication industry in South Africa. The study determines how these telecommunication organizations choose a systems development methodology when developing systems. This study looks at how these organizations are currently implementing system development methodologies to keep up with the changes and competition within the industry. An interpretive approach was used to conduct the research. Four of the leading telecommunication organizations in South Africa were studied by using case studies. Each case study focused on a single telecommunication organization to gain in depth data regarding the use of systems development methodologies. The case studies were conducted by using structured interviews to gain data from multiple sources within the organizations. The data was analyzed using ATLAS.ti and a cross case analysis was done to answer the research questions. The results indicate that there is a contingent use of systems development methodologies within telecommunication organizations. The telecommunication organizations each use criteria to determine which systems development methodology to use. The results of the study indicate that there are different levels of contingency, and it examines how this is accomplished by each organization individually. Each of the organizations has a unique approach when selecting systems development methodologies. The systems development methodologies that are used by the telecommunication organizations are also tailored in some cases. Keywords: Telecommunication, system, development, methodology, contingency, waterfall model, silver bullet, best fit, interpretive, questionnaire. i Opsomming Die telekommunikasie industrie is tans besig om die wêreld te domineer. Verskeie tegnologiese vooruitgange is onlangs gemaak in mobiele telekommunikasie. Daar is huidiglik ‘n paar telekommunikasie organisasies in Suid-Afrika. Die organisasies het elk hulle eie unieke benadering tot dienslewering. Die sterk mededingende natuur van die telekommunikasie industrie is besig om Suid-Afrika tot nuwe hoogtes te neem. Die vooruitgange skep die noodsaak vir beter sekuriteit en kontrole van die telekommunikasie netwerke. RICA wetgewing is in werking gebring om dit te bereik. Die navorsing fokus op die voorwaardelike gebruik van stelsel ontwikkelingsmetodologieë in die telekommunikasie industrie van Suid-Afrika. Die studie bepaal hoe die telekommunikasie organisasies ‘n stelsel ontwikkelingsmetodologie kies wanneer hulle stelsels ontwikkel. Die studie kyk na hoe die organisasies stelsel ontwikkelingsmetodologieë huidiglik implementeer om by te hou met die veranderinge en mededinging binne die industrie. ‘n Interpretatiewe benadering was gebruik om die navorsing uit te voer. Vier van die toonaangewende telekommunikasie organisasies in Suid-Afrika was bestudeer deur gebruik te maak van gevallestudies. Elke gevallestudie het op ‘n enkele telekommunikasie organisasie gefokus om in diepte data rakende die gebruik van stelsel ontwikkelingsmetodologieë te verkry. Die gevallestudies is uitgevoer deur om gestruktureerde onderhoude te gebruik om data vanaf verskeie bronne binne die organisasies te verkry. Die data was geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van ATLAS.ti en ‘n kruisgeval analise is uitgevoer om die navorsings vrae te beantwoord. Die resultate toon dat daar wel ‘n voorwaardelike gebruik is van stelsel onwikkelings metodologieë binne telekommunikasie organisasies. Telekommunikasie organisasies gebruik elk kriteria om te bepaal watter stelsel ontwikkelingsmetodologie om te gebruik. Die resultate van die studie toon aan dat daar verskillende vlakke van voorwaardelikheid is en dit dui ook aan hoe dit onderskeidelik bereik word deur elke organisasie. Elkeen van die organisasies het ‘n unieke benadering om stelsel ontwikkelingsmetodologieë te selekteer. In sommige gevalle word die stelsel ontwikkelingsmetodologieë aangepas. Sleutelwoorde: Telekommunikasie, stelsel, ontwikkeling, metodologie, voorwaardelikheid, waterval model, silver bullet, best fit, interpretasie, vraelys. ii Acknowledgements This is dedicated to my grandfather Hendrik Bronkhorst, a wise man who has helped me for becoming the person I am today. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance, you will always be remembered. Thank you to my wonderful family and my fiancé for supporting me every step of the way. Thank you to Prof. Magda Huisman who helped me all the way. Your support, wisdom and guidance made this possible. Thanks to Telkom for providing me with a bursary which allowed me to complete my studies without hassle and assisted me a great deal. Most of all thank God for always being there and favoring me with His Grace and providing me with all the assistance I needed to complete my research. iii Table of contents Abstract ........................................................................................................ p i Opsomming .................................................................................................. p ii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................... p iii List of tables ................................................................................................. p viii List of figures ................................................................................................ p ix CHAPTER 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT 1. Research introduction ....................................................................................... p1. 1.1. Introduction ................................................................................................ p1. 1.2. Research aims and objectives .................................................................... p8. 1.3. Research paradigm and method ............................................................... p9. 1.4. Summary of chapters ................................................................................. p11. 1.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................... p12. CHAPTER 2 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS 2. Literature study ................................................................................................. p13. 2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................ p14. 2.2 The telecommunication industry ................................................................ p14. 2.2.1 Definition of telecommunication .................................................... p15. 2.2.2 Telecommunication industry versus other industries .................. p15. 2.2.3 Telecommunication layers .............................................................. p17. 2.2.4 Challenges facing the telecommunication industry ...................... p15. 2.2.5 New technological advances in the telecommunication industry ............................................................................................. p20. iv 2.3 System development methodologies ........................................................... p22. 2.3.1 Definition of a system development methodology......................... p22. 2.3.2 The history of system development methodologies....................... p24. 2.4 Contingency .................................................................................................. p29. 2.4.1 Definition of contingency ................................................................ p29. 2.4.2 Contingent use of systems development methodologies ............... p30. 2.5 SDM’s for telecommunication systems ...................................................... p36. 2.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................... p46. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN 3. Research Design ................................................................................................. p48. 3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................ p48. 3.2. Research paradigm ..................................................................................... p49. 3.2.1 Interpretive paradigm ..................................................................... p49. 3.3. Research method ........................................................................................ p51. 3.3.1 Case studies ...................................................................................... p52. 3.3.1.1 Definition of a case study ...................................................