Requirements uncertainty and standardization in IS development projects: A survey of the IT sector in China

This paper examines the issue of requirements uncertainty in information systems (IS) development projects in China. It focuses on key dimensions of IS requirements uncertainty, their effect on project performance and on the role of typical frameworks used to standardize IS development processes. Findings from a survey of 82 senior information technology (IT) professionals show that (i) instability and diversity of IS requirements are the most problematic dimensions of requirements uncertainty, (ii) requirements uncertainty affects the performance of IS development projects and (iii) standardization can reduce that uncertainty and improve the performance of IT projects. The implications for research and practice are discussed.