Individual attitude toward improvisation in information systems development

In the area of information systems development (ISD) the traditional approaches to developing innovative projects, which are historically characterised by top-down, meticulously planned procedures, may not allow the effective handling of the emergent and continuously evolving needs of users. This article investigates the role of improvisation in addressing the shortcomings of traditional approaches to ISD in the fulfilment of the user's need for the maximisation of IS effectiveness. Prior research on software engineering and human-computer interaction (HCI) has focused considerable attention on the need for a shift in the developer's attitude in dealing with contingencies departing from the original plan, while less emphasis has been placed on the factors that may augment the incidence of the attitude towards extemporaneous action (i.e. improvisation). In an attempt to fill this gap, we theoretically analyse the antecedents of individual attitude toward improvisation, grounding our theoretical framework on the ISD domain. © 2010 Taylor & Francis