Determinants of User Involvement in Software Projects

The paper presents results of an empirical inquiry into factors that influence users\´ involvement during custom software development project. Phase-1 of the study uses focus group interviews to understand the process of user involvement in a software project. This culminates into a "user involvement enabler model" which combines the related antecedents into a structural equation model in order to explain the process. In phase-2, the model is validated based on a questionnaire survey. Survey responses identify two sets of factors i.e. "perceived project importance", and "perceived ease of user participation" to be the primary drivers behind "user intention towards participation" leading to involvement. Other significant antecedents influencing the process are also discovered. The outcome of this study is expected to guide level of user involvement towards reduction of project risk.