Developers’ perceptions of object-oriented frameworks – An investigation into the impact of technological and individual characteristics

Framework-based development is currently regarded as one of the most promising software development approaches, boasting increases in lead time, productivity and quality. However, many frameworks and framework-related projects still fail, which indicates that frameworks still have unsolved problems. In this article, we will identify and investigate the major framework characteristics and individual differences that impact the most important users’ perceptions about frameworks. To test the causal relationships between these factors, we performed an online survey and analyzed the results using structural equation modeling. The results support the technology acceptance model (TAM), which was used as an underlying theory. In addition, we found that framework characteristics and individual differences have a significant impact on users’ perceptions, especially in the case of voluntary framework use. Beside TAM constructs, the results also suggest an additional determinant for the acceptance of frameworks: “confidence”. Despite the limits of our research, we foresee future research activities as well as theoretical and practical implications. Our results might be used to develop acceptable frameworks and for the evaluation of existing frameworks, their constituent parts and framework-related guidelines.