Theory-W software project management: a case study

The authors present a candidate unifying principle to guide software project management. Reflecting various alphabetical management theories (X, Y, Z), it is called the Theory W approach to software project management. They explain the Theory W principle and its two subsidiary principles: plan the flight and fly the plan; and, identify and manage your risks. To test the practicability of Theory W, a case study is presented and analyzed: the attempt to introduce new information systems to a large industrial corporation in an emerging nation. The analysis shows that Theory W and its subsidiary principles do an effective job both in explaining why the project encountered problems, and in prescribing ways in which the problems could have been avoided.<>