Agile Contract Templates’ Management of Asset Specificity, Uncertainty and Performance Ambiguity
Master thesis
Permanent lenke
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2579606Utgivelsesdato
2018Metadata
Vis full innførselSamlinger
- Master of Science [1822]
Sammendrag
The majority of today’s firms must take a stand to Industry 4.0, and how they can
digitalize their business. Large investments in ICT projects are therefore made by
customers of technological solutions, but reports find that there are numerous
examples of budgetary transgressions and other factors that contributes to failed
projects. As a response to the need for better methods in ICT development
projects, the Agile method for software development emerged, aiming for endsolutions
to be developed during a project in order to satisfy the customer by
creating a better value outcome. Further, Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) note
that there are several transaction hazards that can affect a buyer-supplierrelationship,
thus different governance mechanisms to cope with these.
The aim of the study is to answer the research question:
How does agile contract templates cope with transaction hazards in ICT projects,
and how does that affect when to use the contracts?
Linked to the research question are three transaction hazards found in TCE,
which we divide in three sub-questions:
1. How does the agile contract templates cope with asset specificity?
2. How does the agile contract templates cope with uncertainty?
3. How does the agile contract templates cope with performance ambiguity?
The research question is answered with a qualitative research method, where the
data sources consist of agile contract templates and interviews. The result of the
study finds that the agile contract templates differ in their degree of enabling
software development based on the Agile method, which in turn effect how the
templates cope with the transaction hazards. However, independent of which agile
contract template being used, we find that good project management, relational
governance and high customer competency cope with the three transaction
hazards to the highest degree. Further, we find that the customer who desires a
more agile project and is able to bear the responsibility of risk elements should
choose SSA-S, whereas the customer with higher risk-aversion and requirements
of a rigid framework should choose PS2000 Agile.
Beskrivelse
Masteroppgave(MSc) in Master of Science in Strategic Marketing Management - Handelshøyskolen BI, 2018