Software Development: Cowboy or Samurai

Authors

Charmayne Cullom, University of Northern Colorado
Richard Cullom, Ridgetop Information Solutions

Abstract

Much has been written about the failure of software development projects. The importance of good software to business cannot be underestimated. A major issue is quality of the software being written and produced. Over the years, the emphasis for improvement in software development has been to change the process. Unified Modeling Language is but one of a long line of changes in software development process starting with structured programming introduced in the seventies to object oriented programming in nineties. However, several software development experts have begun to assert that the problem may not be with the process employed but rather the human asset, namely the software developer. This paper discusses two extremes of software developer behaviors. These two ends of the spectrum are the cowboy, free of restrictions, and the Samurai, following a strict code of behavior. The paper first presents the characteristics of the cowboy and the Samurai then the paper compares the development environment within which each behavior is suitable. The paper concludes with a summary and industry observations.

Recommended Citation

Cullom, Charmayne and Cullom, Richard (2006) "Software Development: Cowboy or Samurai," Communications of the IIMA: Vol. 6: Iss. 2, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58729/1941-6687.1305
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/ciima/vol6/iss2/1