Abstract Information system development (ISD) projects are an ever-growing field of project management (PM) with their unique features, and project failures in ISD are relatively common. In the broader context of PM, uncertainty is a studied, yet mercurial phenomenon. By contrast, uncertainty in ISD projects has received relatively little attention from scholars, and PM literature has not systematically focused on uncertainty in ISD from a viewpoint other than that of project managers. In order to understand uncertainties in ISD projects, we need to first understand the causes behind them, their effects on everyday ISD work, and share coping mechanisms utilized among industry professionals. In the context of ISD projects, we set out to explore what causes uncertainty, what are the effects of uncertainty, and how software industry professionals cope with uncertainty. We conducted eleven semi-structured interviews with a diverse range of ISD professionals, and analyzed the interviews using conventional content analysis. Our results extend and complement current knowledge on the causes, effects, and coping mechanisms of uncertainty, especially in the context of ISD. Additionally, we present practical considerations on how to implement our findings into ISD industry and education.

中文翻译：

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信息系统开发中的不确定性：原因、影响和应对机制

摘要 信息系统开发（ISD）项目是一个不断发展的项目管理（PM）领域，具有独特的功能，ISD中的项目失败相对常见。在更广泛的 PM 背景下，不确定性是一种经过研究但反复无常的现象。相比之下，ISD 项目的不确定性受到学者的关注相对较少，而且 PM 文献并没有从项目经理以外的角度系统地关注 ISD 的不确定性。为了理解 ISD 项目中的不确定性，我们首先需要了解其背后的原因、它们对日常 ISD 工作的影响，以及行业专业人士之间共享的应对机制。在 ISD 项目的背景下，我们着手探索导致不确定性的原因，不确定性的影响是什么，以及软件行业专业人士如何应对不确定性。我们对各种 ISD 专业人士进行了 11 次半结构化访谈，并使用传统的内容分析对访谈进行了分析。我们的结果扩展并补充了当前关于不确定性的原因、影响和应对机制的知识，尤其是在 ISD 的背景下。此外，我们提出了如何将我们的发现应用于 ISD 行业和教育的实际考虑。