Exploring Practitioner’s Perception of Conceptual Modelling in Agile Software Development

Agile Software Development (ASD) has become the dominant approach for delivering value in iterative cycles, managing changing requirements, and coordinating distributed teams. Nevertheless, requirements management and technical debt persist as challenges. Conceptual models (CM) have been proposed as a means to address these issues; however, there is a paucity of empirical evidence regarding their systematic use and effectiveness in agile contexts. The present study investigates the perceptions of software practitioners regarding the use of CM in ASD. A total of 88 professionals actively working in software development, including project managers, analysts, developers and architects, participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to explore general trends, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was employed to examine relationships between constructs and to identify key predictors of intention to use conceptual models. The findings reveal a consistent and positive perception of CM among practitioners, with the highest ratings related to their usefulness for software requirements and system design. However, perceptions regarding their contribution to agile-specific tasks were less favorable. The findings of the present study underscore the notion that perceived usefulness and habit are the strongest predictors of intention to use CM. Furthermore, cultural factors appear to influence these perceptions. A comparison between Cuban and non-Cuban participants reveals significant disparities, particularly with regard to their propensity to adhere to organizational expectations. This study provides empirical insights into the role of CM in ASD and establishes a foundation for future work aimed at supporting their adoption and addressing cultural variations in perception.