Current issue

• Questionable research practices in engineering research
  Ana Alice Baptista, Filipe Pereira
  • Misconduct in science is often associated with data fabrication, data falsification, and plagiarism. However, other practices are far more frequent and prevalent. Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) are in the grey area between misconduct and responsible research conduct. The goal of this study was to investigate estimated and self-admission prevalence of engineering researchers' engagement in QRPs. We applied a survey through a questionnaire that used 10 QRPs identified in relevant literature. The questionnaire was adapted to include several categories: individual, research group, research center, and country. Results indicate that self-admission engagement in QRPs is generally higher than in similar studies. Also, respondents are more keen to estimate that others engage in QRPs than they or their research group do. Respondents admit engagement in all QRPs presented, such as failing to report all of a study´s dependent measures relevant to a finding, selectively reporting studies related to a specific finding that "worked," or even falsifying data. While some consider these practices unjustifiable, others justify them with publication and time pressures. More studies on the QRP engagement of engineering researchers are needed to get a more precise picture.

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• Quality, security, and privacy assurance in software development: proactive integration or just workflow-slowing checkpoints?
  Anne-Maarit Majanoja, Ville Leppänen
  • In software development, the integration of assurance methodologies such as quality, security, and privacy practices is essential to producing high-quality, reliable, and compliant products. This paper investigates the adoption and effectiveness of these assurance practices within the daily operations of software development. Through an industry survey of 88 software development professionals in Finland, this study examines the order and consistency with which developers apply assurance practices during projects, and the challenges they face in performing these tasks. The results show that while developers recognize the importance of assurance, many organizations still treat it as a separate, secondary activity rather than a core part of the development lifecycle. Key findings show that quality practices are more consistently integrated into daily operations compared to security and privacy measures, which tend to be reactive. The paper highlights the tension between agile practices, which promote flexibility and continuous improvement, and the more rigid, process-heavy nature of assurance tasks. The study underscores the need for a shift in both industry practices and educational approaches to fully embed assurance into software development.

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• Designing a fitting hybrid project management approach: a contingency perspective
  Dagmar Silvius-Zuchi, Gilbert Silvius
  • The hybrid approach in project management is now considered as a leading project management approach, that is applied in the majority of projects. However, the hybrid approach, which is defined as the combination of the predictive and adaptive approaches, is also still emerging, with several challenges and issues showing from literature. One of these issues is that the definition of hybrid as a combination of adaptive and predictive approaches leaves room for interpretation and variation. Hybrid is a spectrum of different ways of planning, controlling, organizing, leading and performing a project, that needs to be tailored to the situational circumstances. It is this tailoring process that the study focuses on. Based on the criteria for assessing the fit of an approach, the study identified the following six hybrid approaches, 'Flexible predictive'; ’'Tolerant predictive'; 'Predictable adaptive'; 'Adaptive light'; 'Integrated hybrid' and 'Facilitated adaptive'. By applying a contingency approach to the design of a hybrid approach, the study aims to contribute to the further development of the understanding of hybrid project management.

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• Outsourced ERP system implementation success: The effects of client and vendor competences and their moderating roles
  Boonlert Watjatrakul, Vimolluck Vatanapitukpong
  • Previous research has overlooked how individual competence interacts with circumstances that could potentially affect the success of outsourced system implementation. This research leverages person-environment fit and expectation-disconfirmation theories to investigate how client and vendor competences, as external factors and moderators, along with partnership quality and task-technology fit, affect the performance and satisfaction in outsourced ERP system implementations. Data were collected via a survey of 414 ERP users from 12 companies and analyzed using PLS-SEM and slope analysis. The findings reveal that client and vendor competences shape task-technology fit and partnership quality, affecting performance and client satisfaction. Notably, task-technology fit does not always improve performance for highly competent clients, and satisfaction may decline when vendors are perceived as highly competent, raising client expectations. A slight misalignment between tasks and technologies may even benefit highly skilled users. Furthermore, client satisfaction with ERP outsourcing is influenced by both performance outcomes and perceptions of vendor competence. This study provides practical guidance to enhance the success of outsourced system implementations.

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ISRI - Information Systems Research Indicators