Is OO the systems development technology for your organization?

Object-oriented technology, emerged in response to the growing needs for developing and maintaining complex software system, has aroused a great deal of interests in both academia and industry. After more than a decade, there is still no clear result describing the extent to which the technology is used. A recent survey found that the adoption rate of object-oriented technology in systems analysis and design is much lower than expected. This study applies the theory of diffusion of innovations to investigate the extent to which the technology is used and the reasons as to why it is being adopted or not adopted. Based on the survey findings, an instrument is proposed for organizations to assess whether they are ready to adopt this new paradigm for their systems development. The purpose of this study is to help management make informed decisions on the adoption of object-oriented systems development methodologies in their organizations.