Why do programmers avoid metrics?

Software process improvement initiatives such as metrics programs have a high failure rate during their assimilation in a software organization. Social and organizational issues are some of the factors affecting the adoption and acceptance of metrics, and these issues have not been discussed in detail in existing metrics literature. We undertook an interview-based study with the purpose of studying factors that influence the buy-in of metrics. We interviewed 12 members of the metrics team of a large multi-national corporation, with a thriving metrics program. We found that there was some resistance to standardization of corporate metrics processes introduced by the metrics team. This resistance centered on the metrics data collection and reporting processes. One cause of resistance was the presence of subcultures and native data collection and reporting processes within organizational units that were independent businesses before they were acquired. Some of the pushback manifested its...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: ESEM
• Authors: Medha Umarji, Carolyn B. Seaman
• Keywords: ESEM 2008, Metrics Effort, Metrics Program, Metrics Team, Software Engineering