Antipatterns : Managing Software Organizations and People, Second Edition

Emphasizing leadership principles and practices, Antipatterns: Managing Software Organizations and People, Second Edition catalogs 49 business practices that are often precursors to failure. This updated edition of a bestseller not only illustrates bad management approaches, but also covers the bad work environments and cultural traits commonly found in IT, software development, and other business domains. For each antipattern, it describes the situation and symptoms, gives examples, and offers a refactoring solution.

The authors, graduate faculty at Penn State University, avoid an overly scholarly style and infuse the text with entertaining sidebars, cartoons, stories, and jokes. They provide names for the antipatterns that are visual, humorous, and memorable. Using real-world anecdotes, they illustrate key concepts in an engaging manner. This updated edition sheds light on new management and environmental antipattems and includes a new chapter, six updated chapters, and new discussion questions. Topics covered include leadership principles, environmental antipatterns, group patterns, management antipatterns, and team leadership.

Following introductory material on management theory and human behavior, the text catalogs the full range of management, cultural, and environmental antipatterns. It includes thought-provoking exercises that each describe a situation, ask which antipatterns are present, and explain how to refactor the situation. It provides time-tested advice to help you overcome bad practices through successful interaction with your clients, customers, peers, supervisors, and subordinates.

Joanna F. DeFranco

is assistant professor of software engineering and a member of the graduate faculty at The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining Penn State, she held faculty positions at Cabrini College and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She also held a number of positions in industry and government, including as an electronics engineer for the Naval Air Development Center in Warminster, PA, and as a software engineer at Motorola in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

Dr. DeFranco received her BS in electrical engineering from Penn State, MS in computer engineering from Villanova University, and PhD in computer and information science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She is a member of ASEE and has had numerous publications in journals and conference proceedings. She is also on the curriculum advisory board for a local technical high school.

Phillip A. Laplante

is professor of software engineering and affiliate professor of information science and technology at The Pennsylvania State University. Before joining Penn State, he was a professor and senior academic administrator at several other colleges and universities.Prior to his academic career, Dr. Laplante spent nearly eight years as a software engineer and project manager working on avionics (including the Space Shuttle), CAD (Computer Aided Design), and software test systems. He was also director of business development for a boutique software consulting firm. He has authored or edited 27 books and more than 200 papers, articles, and editorials.

Dr. Laplante received his BS, MEng, and PhD degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, and computer science, respectively, from Stevens Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Colorado. He is a fellow of the IEEE and a member of numerous professional societies, program committees, and boards. He is consultant to Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. Department of Defense, and NASA on technical and management issues. He also serves as a CIO/CEO coach.

Colin J. Neill

is associate professor of software and systems engineering and associate division head of engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining Penn State, he worked as a research officer at the University of Wales Swansea, as a certified software process assessor and auditor, and as a software engineering consultant for a number of organizations in the United Kingdom and Europe. Notable experiences during this period included working on manufacturing strategies with Rover Cars and enterprise system selection, installation, and enhancement with British Aerospace.

Dr. Neill received his BEng in electrical and electronic engineering, MS in communication systems, and PhD in software and systems engineering from the University of Wales Swansea. He is a member of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and he is the author of more than 70 articles and book chapters. Additionally, he serves as a member of several journal editorial boards and academic conference committees. He conducts research for a number of companies and government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He is a rabid fan of Philadelphia professional sports teams.