The moderating effects of organisational culture on the relationship between absorptive capacity and software process improvement success

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships among absorptive capacity (AC), organisational culture (OC), and software process improvement (SPI) implementation success based on capability maturity model integration (CMMI). Specifically, the aim of this study is to understand the roles of potential and realised AC in SPI success. Design/methodology/approach: This study proposes a research model and examines the relations among firm AC, SPI success, and OC. The authors surveyed 56 Taiwanese firms that adopted the CMMI-based SPI programme and received official certification. Findings: The findings indicate that potential and realised AC have significantly positive effects on SPI success. In particular, realized (AC) partially mediates the effects of potential AC on SPI success. Furthermore, the effects of potential and realised AC on SPI success are significantly moderated by the adhocracy and hierarchy OCs, respectively. Research limitations/implications: Given that the scope of this empirical study was limited to Taiwan, the findings might lack generalisability; however, this provides an opportunity for future research. Originality/value: This is the first empirical study investigating the influence of AC on CMMI-based SPI success. The proposed research model also examines the moderating relationships of two types of OCs, namely adhocracy and hierarchy, on AC (potential and realized) and SPI success.