Development and validation of quality management constructs for software industries: an empirical investigation from India

Abstract

Quality management (QM) is a powerful technique for managing, monitoring, analysing and improving the operational performance. Various studies have been done in the manufacturing and service sectors to find out the relation between quality management practices and operational performance. Very little studies are found from software industries. The aim of this paper is to present results of a survey on QM in the software industries. The focus is on understanding the critical success factors (CSFs) for successful implementation of QM in the software industry. In total, 12 critical success factors (CSFs) with 114 variables were developed from the literature and discussions with software quality professionals. To validate the data obtained from a survey of software industries in India, reliability and validity analysis was carried out. These results provide an increased understanding of how to better implement QM in the software industry, and provide managers with improved guidelines for identifying the most important factors that will lead to success. Indian software companies are leading exporters to Europe and the USA. Considering the growth of the Indian software industry and increased inclination towards acquiring quality certifications and quality improvement techniques, a better understanding of the implementation of QM can provide companies with a stronger competitive advantage.