A model of project desertion factors in public blockchain software implementation

• Main Author: Shenu Malami, Sarkin Tudu
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: T58.5-58.64 Information technology
• Online Access: https://etd.uum.edu.my/11337/1/depositpermission.pdf; https://etd.uum.edu.my/11337/2/s902472_01.pdf; https://etd.uum.edu.my/11337/3/s902472_02.pdf; https://etd.uum.edu.my/11337/

Blockchain's emergence as a key IT technology marks a shift from traditional development models, but public blockchain projects struggle with developer turnover. Empirical evidence shows 41% of these projects fail due to developer influx and withdrawal, affecting sustainability and maintainability. Existing research on OSS developer turnover focuses on attraction factors, with limited emphasis on project desertion. This issue causes knowledge loss, delays, and expertise recovery challenges. Traditional OSS studies like Linux and Apache provide insights, but blockchain projects remain underexplored. Personal and project-related factors, such as modularity, influence developer attitudes. A comprehensive investigation integrating Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Modular System Theory (MST), and Theory of Involvement (TI) is essential to understand and address desertion, identifying key influencers to enhance project sustainability. This study investigates factors leading to project desertion in blockchain projects, aiming to construct a predictive model. Objectives include identifying key factors, building a model, and validating it. Validation entails statistical analysis, real-world data comparison, and assessment against existing theories. The study progressed through knowledge compilation, problem identification, and a Systematic Literature Review. It involved factor operationalization, preliminary research, data collection, cleaning, and analysis, validating findings through expert triangulation. Culturally sensitive emails increased response rates to 63.5%, ensuring valid analysis. Developers' intentions to learn and financial gain boost blockchain project involvement, reducing desertion. Expertise diversity, system integration, code testing, and decoupling enhance involvement. Project leadership, network management knowledge, and decision rights delegation have minimal impact. Blockchain archetype moderates’ involvement's effect on desertion This study introduces a model for examining blockchain project desertion in OSS projects, combining SCT, MST, and TI, with decision right delegation and Blockchain archetype as moderators. It uses subjective, situation-specific measures to address research gaps, emphasizing developer involvement and proper decision delegation to reduce desertion and improve blockchain project outcomes in the blockchain community.