Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • apa.csl
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Unraveling the Organisational Debt Phenomenon in Software Companies
Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7885-0369
Princess Sumaya University of Technology, Jordan.
Al Ahliyya Amman University, Jordan.
Applied Science Private University, Jordan.
2025 (English)In: Computer Science and Information Systems, ISSN 1820-0214, Vol. 22, no 1, p. 369-399Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Organizational debt (OD) is a major challenge to software organizations that seek to maintain agility, adaptability and sustainable competitiveness in the dynamic business environment. OD can be refers to suboptimal decisions, outdated procedures, misaligned structures and cultural barriers that limit an organization's ability to adapt and innovate quickly. This multifaceted process includes several factors, including ineffective workflows, knowledge silos, cultural issues, and inadequate resource utilization. When organizations are focused on short-term gains at the expense of long-term organizational health, the symptoms of organizational dysfunction may manifest themselves as reduced output, reduced quality and customer satisfaction. This study aims at assessing the extent of knowledge, factors, and consequences of organizational maladjustment in software organizations. A survey performed in three organizations identified several highly visible issues such as complex code, inconsistent UI, unclear requirements, and outdated processes. These themes often emerge due to exponential growth, prioritizing speed over quality, lack of cooperation and coordination, and outdated processes. The adverse effects of OD are comparable to technical debt, affecting the maintainability, user experience, and project management. This study also offers strategies for identifying, assessing, and mitigating OD through a combination of quantitative metrics, user feedback, and interdepartmental collaboration. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, open communication, and cross-functional alignment, organizations can proactively address OD and create an environment conducive to innovation, quality, and customer-centricity.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
COMSIS CONSORTIUM , 2025. Vol. 22, no 1, p. 369-399
Keywords [en]
Organisational debt, software development, technical debt, process debt, nontechnical debt, agile, organisational agility
National Category
Software Engineering Information Systems
Research subject
Computer Science
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-103944DOI: 10.2298/CSIS240411012AISI: 001429349700018Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85218954720OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-103944DiVA, id: diva2:1951623
Funder
Knowledge Foundation, 20200253Available from: 2025-04-11 Created: 2025-04-11 Last updated: 2025-04-11Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textScopus

Authority records

Ahmad, Muhammad Ovais

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Ahmad, Muhammad Ovais
By organisation
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (from 2013)
In the same journal
Computer Science and Information Systems
Software EngineeringInformation Systems

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 18 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • apa.csl
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf