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doi: 10.14355/ijics.2015.04.008
www.iji-cs.org
1
2
bakpan@texascollege.edu; 2aoolagunju@stcloudstate.edu
Abstract
This study assessed the impact of object-oriented programming on the quality and reusability of software development. The
degree to which object-oriented programming is prevalent over structured and other traditional programming in the software
development phase at business organizations was investigated. This research examined the extent to which business
organizations use object-oriented approach in software development. A number of professionals from the industries were
surveyed to ascertain the relevance of advocating the incorporation of the object-oriented approach into computer science and
information technology curriculums.
Keywords
Object-Oriented Programming; Structured Programming; Software Development; Reusability; Curriculum Design
Introduction
The development of information systems is a multifaceted, pricey, and risky endeavor. Thus, organizations often
invest in tools and technologies for managing complexity and mitigating risks associated with information system
development. The software development community has been capitalizing on the benefits of object-orientation for
years. Software developers foresee object-orientation as a tool for potentially alleviating technical issues of
structured programming timely software production, fewer maintenance problems, flexibility in software
modification, and enhanced software quality. The adoption of object-orientation methodologies continues to
progress slowly, in spite of their perceived benefits [6].
The inception of object-orientation technology started in the late 1960s with simulation programming languages
such as Simula 67 developed by Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard of Norwegian Computing Center in Oslo
[13]. The idea of using objects to simulate real-world entities was introduced in Simula. In the early 1970s, Alan
Kay developed the SmallTalk programming language that promoted the use of software objects for simulating
real-world objects [13]; other object-oriented programming language, such as C++ and Eiffel, emerged in the mid
1980s.
The question naturally arises on the popularity of the object-oriented technology after a long period of obscurity.
Object-oriented technology offers possible solutions to many problems confronting corporations. Software is
difficult to develop, modify, and maintain. Most software projects are delivered late and over budget.
Programmers are continuing to create new software codes for new applications because of limitations in code
reusability. In spite of these issues, corporations are challenged to explore novel approaches for developing costeffective, efficient software for timely release and delivery. Organizations have used the structured programming
approach to develop software for decades [11]. Structured programming significantly improved software quality
via a top-down, modular decomposition approach. However, structured programming style poses major problems
in the development of large systems. For example, designs errors detected in already progressing software
implementation might require costly software reconstruction.
Object-oriented programming and structured programming are different in the management of data and methods.
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In structured programming data and methods are maintained separately; usually all data is declared prior to
presenting the methods, making it difficult to identify specific data and methods. However, in object-oriented
programming the associated data and methods of an object are housed within a class [11]. The design of a system
could be modeled at a higher level in the object-oriented approach. Design problems can be identified and fixed at
specific levels of objects. Object-orientation has gained popularity in industry because it promotes the
understanding of a system as objects rather than procedures. The magnitude and nature of the differences between
object-oriented programming and structured programming exist. There are researchers who perceive objectorientation as essentially a development from structured programming approach [2]. Others assert that objectorientation is an entirely new approach and way of thinking [4]. Organizations need an understanding of the
object-oriented concepts for decision making in efforts to shift from the structured approach to object-oriented
approach. Organizations ought to understand the benefits of the object-oriented phenomenon and its conceptual
relationships to structured viewpoints, for a successful software redesign and implementation.
This research investigated whether or not object-orientation, after years of extensive literatures outlined its
tremendous advantages over the structured approach, has obliterated the use of structured approach in software
development. The term object-orientation in this paper refers to object-oriented analysis, object-oriented design,
and object-oriented programming. The term structured technique or structured approach refers to structured
analysis, structured design, and structured programming. Several researchers had contrasted object-orientation
with the structured approach in terms of analysis, design and programming in the software life cycle [1, 2, 7, 10, 12].
Previous research investigations had used Author Co-Citation Analysis to compare the object-orientation approach
with structured approach [5, 8, 9, 15]. However, in an effort to derive evidence for advocating the incorporation of
the object-orientation approach into computer science and information technology curriculums this study
investigated the extent to which object-orientation is utilized by business organizations.
Perhaps object-oriented programming is going to continue to be the solution for solving the lingering problems of
design, development, and production of quality and reliable software products, to meet the goals and increase
productivity of organizations. Are business organizations employing the characteristics of object-oriented
approach in the design and development software? Have organizations been replacing the structural approaches
with object-oriented approaches to utilize all the benefits of object-orientation technologies? To what extent are
organizations achieving the qualities of object-oriented development emphasized in the literature?
Methodology
An online Internet-based survey questionnaire was designed to solicit the opinions information systems managers
on the characteristics of software development. The survey instrument included demographic data such as
education level, gender, current position, and experience level. In the questionnaire the respondents provided
pertinent information about software such as the type of approach used for design and implementation, quality of
the software products, reusability strategy, cost, time and flexibility regarding software development in their
organizations. We assumed that information systems managers were too busy to respond hardcopy questionnaires
and personal interviews. Consequently we emailed the link of survey instrument to managers in charge of
software development at selected business organizations.
Limitations
The heterogeneous nature of the sample of information systems executives used in this study is a threat to the
validity of the results. The use of self-reporting method to obtain data about programming approaches to software
development at specific organizations limits the generalization of the results. The variations in the budgets,
revenues and sizes of organizations might confound the survey results. It is unclear if the perceptions of the
sampled information systems executive are accurate and representative of their departments. The number of the
information systems managers who responded to the survey was limited. This limitation could have biased the
results because several knowledgeable information systems managers of software development might not have
participated in the survey due to time constraints. This research targeted Fortune 1000 companies, a group not
likely not to participate in this type of research.
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Total
ISS
IA
MNP
FSS
NSR
RR
1,000
200
100
700
180
25.7
Where ISS= Initial Sample Size; IA = Incorrect Address; MNP= Managers not participating
FSS= Final Sample Size; NSR= Number of Surveys returned; RR = Percentage of Response Rate
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TABLE 2: GENDER
Gender
Male
Female
Total
Freq.
120
0
120
%
100.00
0.00
100
Graph
Graph
Degree
Undergraduate
Freq.
51
%
41.80
Master's
Doctorate
41
23
33.61
18.85
Other
Total
7
122
5.74
100
Employees
Freq.
Fewer than 50
51 to 100
101 to 500
501 to 1,000
1,001 to 5,000
5,001 to 10,000
More than 10,000
Total
26
33
42
16
4
0
0
121
21.49
27.27
34.71
13.22
3.31
0.00
0.00
100
Graph
Position
VP Technology Services
Direct Software Development
VP Information Systems
VP Software Development
Other
Total
Freq.
10
4
50
62
3
129
%
7.75
3.10
38.76
48.06
2.33
100
Graph
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organizations or 5 percent indicated that they used other languages. The majority of the organizations used at least
one object-oriented language.
Table 10 contains information on the migration of software development from structured approach to objectoriented approach. Ninety-eight organizations or 82 percent have already switched to an object-oriented approach
while 21 organizations or 18 percent maintained their structured approach.
TABLE 6: SOFTWARE ACTIVITY
Activity
Software requirements
Software design
Software Development
Software maintenance
Other
Total
Freq.
109
105
115
94
2
425
%
25.65
24.71
27.06
22.12
0.47
100
Graph
Approach
Object-Oriented
Structured
Traditional
Other
Total
Freq.
119
53
4
2
178
%
66.85
29.78
2.25
1.12
100
Graph
Programming
Object-Oriented
Structured
Traditional approach
Other approach
Total
Freq.
104
13
2
1
120
%
86.81
10.28
1.86
1.05
100
Graph
Language
C/C++
Java
Visual Basic
Object-Oriented
Other
Total
Freq.
44
94
17
21
10
186
%
23.66
50.54
9.14
11.29
5.38
100
Graph
Response
Yes
No
Total
Freq.
98
21
119
%
82.35
17.65
100
Graph
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Will the use of object-oriented programming save time in meeting the urgent demands of customers? Table 13
contains the levels of agreement by the managers that object-oriented could reduce the time for software
development. Thirty-four managers or 28.3 percent strongly agreed; 65 managers or 54.2 percent agreed; 19
managers or 15.8 percent were neutral; only 2 managers or 1.7 percent disagreed.
Do organizations that actually engage in reuse of code believe that object-oriented programming enhances new
program development? Table 14 shows the ratings of the reusability of object-oriented programming in improving
new software development by the managers. Thirty-three managers or 28 percent strongly agreed that objectoriented programming support reusability, 53 managers or 44 percent agreed, 34 managers or 28 percent were
neutral. The majority of the managers at least agreed that object-oriented programming enhanced code reusability.
TABLE 11: SATISFACTION WITH OBJECT-ORIENTED
Response
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Could Improve
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
Total
Freq.
37
72
10
0
0
119
%
31.09
60.50
8.40
0.00
0.00
100
Graph
Rating
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Total
Freq.
44
68
9
0
1
122
%
36.07
55.74
7.38
0.00
0.82
100
Graph
Rating
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Total
Freq.
34
65
19
2
0
120
%
28.33
54.17
15.83
1.67
0.00
100
Graph
Rating
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Total
Freq.
33
53
34
0
0
120
%
27.50
44.17
28.33
0.00
0.00
100
Graph
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Object-oriented programming support better code reusability, especially across multiple products;
Object-oriented programming makes the solution design and implementation easier to communicate
and understand;
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Object-oriented development methodogies facilitate reusability without cutting and pasting codes-on
mudule woeks for multiple systems.
Conclusions
The response rate to the survey in this research is low. However, the response rates to the surveys of senior
executives are typically low [14]. The survey response rate was just under 30 percent. This response rate is actually
quite good, given that senior company executives were required to address strategic software development issues
[14].
The Object-Oriented approach involves encapsulating data and code. In the Object-oriented approach all systems
applications are viewed as a collection of interlocking objects that allow organizations and end users to easily
understand logical entities. In fact the greatest strength of the object-oriented approach to software development is
the mechanism it offers for modeling the real world [3]. This enhances the ability to maintain and understand the
components of software systems.
The results from this research reveal that top information systems executives of organizations should always
remain familiar with the current programming approaches. An understanding of the advantages of the objectoriented methodology would help organizations to improve the quality and cost of software development.
Organizations that still rely on structured or traditional software design ought to consider migration to the objectoriented approach.
Object-oriented approach promotes the reuse of codes and reduces the time for software development. The
incorporation of object-oriented methodologies into all computer science and information technology curriculums
is vital. It does not matter the language of choice for introducing object-oriented concepts and programming into
the curriculum. However, C++, Java and C# are the current candidate languages for introducing object-oriented
programming into the curriculum.
REFERENCES
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Bayer, E. A., Smart, C. J. & McLaughlin, W. G. (1990), Mapping intellectual structure of a scientific subfield through
author co-citations, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 41, 444-452.
[2]
Booch, G. (1991), Object-Oriented Design with Applications, Benjamin Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.
[3]
[4]
Cargill, C. (1995), Understanding the rules of OT, Uniform Monthly, 15(1), 44-45.
[5]
Culnan, J. M. (1987), Mapping the intellectual structure of MIS, 1980-1985: A co-citation analysis, MIS Quarterly, 341-350.
[6]
[7]
Li, X. (1991), Integration of structured and object-oriented programming, Journal of Object-Oriented Programming-Focus on
Analysis and Design, 54-60.
[8]
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[9]
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[10] Meli, M. (1994), Object orientation-real or hype? Data Management Review, 4(7), 24-26.
[11] Montlick, T. (1999), What is object-oriented software? http://www.soft-design.com/softinfo/objects.html
[12] Page-Jones, M. & Weiss, S. (1991), Synthesis: An object-oriented analysis and design method, Journal of Object-Oriented
Programming - Focus on Analysis and Design, 133-135.
[13] Taylor, D. A. (1990), Object-Oriented Technology: A Managers Guide, Addison Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts.
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[14] Venkatraman, N. (1989), Strategic orientation of business enterprises: The construct, dimensionality, and measurement,
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[15] White, D. H. (1981), Author cocitation: A literature measure of intellectual structure, Journal of the American Society for
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Bassey Akpan is a professor and chair of the Division of Natural and Computational Sciences at Texas College located at Tyler,
Texas, USA. He received Doctors Degree in Information System at Argosy University, USA in 2005. His research area is in
computer security, database, and computer human interaction.
Amos O Olagunju is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology at St. Cloud State
University (SCSU) in Minnesota. He previously served as the interim dean of undergraduate studies for two years at SCSU.
Prior to that position, he served as the dean of the School of Graduate Studies and chief research officer at Winston Salem State
University in North Carolina. Amos served as the chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department, and later the
Computing and Information Sciences Department, at Delaware State University (Dover, DE). As Carnegie African Diaspora
fellow, he recently helped Caleb University in Nigeria to develop graduate programs in Computer Science. He is a senior
member of the ACM. His current research interests are in the areas of bioinformatics, quantitative security risk assessments,
cryptography, numerical computing, and artistic storytelling of breakthrough computing algorithms and technologies.
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