Paper Info
Title
Modeling "Softer" Aspects of the Software Development Process: An Activity Theory Based Approach
Abstract
In our view, all current software engineering tools and techniques have strengths and weaknesses but very few tools provide much in the way of useful support for the critical "people-related" (or "softer") organizational behavior issues critical to the successful implementation of any new process or system. In this context, activity theory would appear to have much to offer, incorporating, as it does, notions of intentionality, history, mediation, motivation, understanding, communication, culture and context. Previously, we have reported on the specification and development of a repository designed to represent process knowledge captured within an activity theory framework. Here, we extend this work by proposing a framework for a broad process modeling methodology designed around this repository. We take advantage of the substantial overlap between a methodology based on knowledge analysis of tasks (KAT) and activity theory. KAT analysis directly supports the fundamental process modeling objective of identifying what people currently do in their work within a given domain. Here our focus is on the software development process and we illustrate our approach by applying it to the change management activity within the implementation stage of the SDLC. Specifically, we present an involving the use of change anchors. These are abstract devices designed to "kick start" change initiatives to a point where these gain sufficient credibility to sustain themselves.
Year
DOI
Venue
2000
10.1109/HICSS.2000.926778
HICSS
Keywords
Field
DocType
fundamental process modeling objective,activity theory,change anchor,change management activity,activity theory framework,new process,change initiative,process knowledge,software development process,broad process modeling methodology,change management,formal specification,systems analysis,process modelling
Change management,Software design,Credibility,Computer science,Systems analysis,Process modeling,Knowledge management,Formal specification,Software development process,Systems development life cycle,Management science
Conference
ISBN
Citations 
PageRank 
0-7695-0493-0
1
0.37
References 
Authors
1
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
G. Michael Mcgrath13410.82
Lorna Uden2514102.23