Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Software grounded theory'

Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) have been successfully applied to many problems and applications. Their success comes from being general purpose, which means that the same EA can be used to solve different problems. Despite that, many factors can affect the behaviour and the performance of an EA and it has been proven that there isn't a particular EA which can solve efficiently any problem. This opens to the issue of understanding how different design choices can affect the performance of an EA and how to efficiently design and tune one. This thesis has two main objectives. On the one hand we will advance the theoretical understanding of evolutionary algorithms, particularly focusing on Genetic Programming and Parallel Evolutionary algorithms. We will do that trying to understand how different design choices affect the performance of the algorithms and providing rigorously proven bounds of the running time for different designs. This novel knowledge, built upon previous work on the theoretical foundation of EAs, will then help for the second objective of the thesis, which is to provide theory grounded design for Parallel Evolutionary Algorithms and Genetic Programming. This will consist in being inspired by the analysis of the algorithms to produce provably good algorithm designs.

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Contexto: A engenharia de software é uma disciplina de natureza sócio técnica baseada na forte interação entre fatores pessoais, sociais e técnicos. Conceitualmente, os aspectos sociais da engenharia de software incluem formas de interação, comportamentos e organização das pessoas, visto que a ampla maioria dos sistemas de software são desenvolvidos em equipe. Dentre os possíveis preditores do desempenho de equipes, um dos fatores mais estudados em diversas áreas do conhecimento é a coesão de equipe. Na área de engenharia de software a pesquisa sobre coesão ainda é pontual e inconclusiva. Objetivo: Construir uma teoria substantiva fundamentada nos dados que explique o fenômeno da coesão dentro de equipes de engenharia de software. Para isso, respondemos à Questão Central de Pesquisa: “Como se caracteriza a coesão dentro das equipes de engenharia de software?”. Método: Para responder à pergunta de pesquisa adotamos a Teoria Fundamentada como método de coleta e análise dos dados. Este método tem como objetivo através de dados coletados, reunidos e analisados sistematicamente derivar uma teoria baseada neles. A coleta de dados e a análise foram realizadas de forma intercalada. Alguns cuidados foram tomados para garantir a confiabilidade da pesquisa: triangulação dos dados através de múltiplas fontes de evidências (entrevistas, observação, questionário); redação de memorandos e adoção do diário de campo. Resultados: A coesão das equipes de software irá influenciar a capacidade da equipe de software em manter seu equilíbrio interno, através de processos autorregulatórios e do relacionamento interpessoal entre seus integrantes. O constructo é resultado da combinação de dois fatores: (1) sentimento dos integrantes em se sentirem parte do todo; (2) atuação conjunta da equipe ao se comportar de forma coordenada e integrada. A teoria propõe a existência de cinco tipos principais de coesão dentro das equipes de software que variam de acordo com as dimensões sociais e profissionais: coesão integral, coesão social, coesão profissional, coesão artificial e incoesão. Por fim, a teoria identifica cinco resultados da coesão na equipe, entre eles: manutenção do equilíbrio; capacidade de adaptação e efetividade. Em paralelo, a coesão se reflete no individuo de seis formas, destacando, aderência aos processos; permanência na equipe e tolerância a períodos de turbulência. Conclusão: A teoria construída sobre coesão em equipes de engenharia de software será útil na gestão da dinâmica das equipes de engenharia de software, oferecendo parâmetros para diagnosticar a situação das equipes e oferecendo estratégias de como influenciar a coesão e seus impactos.
Context: Software engineering is a discipline of technical and social nature, based on strong interaction between individual, social, and technical factors. Conceptually, the social aspects of software engineering include the way people interact, behave, and organize, because the vast majority of software systems are developed in team. Among the possible predictors of team performance, one of the most studied factors in various areas of knowledge, is team cohesion. Nevertheless, researches on cohesion in software engineering is still inconclusive. Objective: The main goal of this thesis is to build a substantive theory that explains the phenomenon of cohesion within software engineering teams. We answer the Central Research Question: "What are the characteristics of cohesion within software engineering teams?” Method: We adopt the Grounded Theory as method of data collection and analysis to answer the research question. This method aims at collecting, summarizing and analyzing field data to derive a theory based on them. Data collection and analysis were performed interchangeably. Carefully designed process was followed to ensure the reliability of the research: triangulation of data through multiple sources of evidence (interviews, observation, questionnaire), and writing memos and field diary. Results: Cohesion of software teams will influence the software team's ability to maintain its internal balance through self-regulatory processes and interpersonal relationships among its members. The construct is the result of the combination of two factors: (1) feeling of members to feel part of the whole; (2) joint efforts of the team members to behave in a coordinated and integrated manner. The theory proposes five main types of cohesion within software teams that vary according to the social and professional dimensions: full cohesion, social cohesion, professional cohesion, artificial cohesion and lack of cohesion. Finally, the theory identifies five results of cohesion in the team, including: maintaining balance; adaptability and effectiveness. In parallel, the cohesion is reflected in the individual of six ways, highlighting: adherence to processes; stay on the team and turbulence tolerance. Conclusion: The theory built on cohesion in software engineering teams will be useful in managing the dynamics of software engineering teams, providing parameters to diagnose the situation of teams and offering strategies to influence cohesion and its impacts.

This thesis develops a model and a theory of software design. Thirty-two transcripts of interviews with software designers were analysed using the Grounded Theory method. The first set of sixteen interviews drawn from the field of Digital Interactive Multimedia (Data-set A) was used to develop the model and theory, the second set of sixteen interviews drawn from one source of technical literature (Data-set B) was used to test and enhance the initial outcomes. Final outcomes are then grounded in the general literature on problem solving and design. The model is concerned to capture a rich, holistic picture of software design. It is descriptive rather than prescriptive, concerned to capture how software design is done rather than advocate how it ought to be done. The theory is a development of the model and is presented initially as a theoretical framework and then as a series of propositions. The theoretical framework is a function of the juxtaposition of specific properties or attributes of the "core category", which uniquely explains the phenomenon. Its outcome is four design scenarios. Each scenario is of interest as an explanation of software design practice but two scenarios wherein such practice does not "fit" the design context are of most interest. It is argued that these scenarios can be used to identify and explain design breakdowns. Finally, the thesis purports to explicate the "Meta-process" - the process through which the inductive model and theory was developed. This is an unusual objective for a piece of IS research but valid nonetheless and significant, given the complexity of the research method used and the dearth of good process accounts in the IS literature and elsewhere.

Context: Software startups are newly created companies with no operating history and are extremely fast in producing cutting-edge technologies. These companies develop software un- der highly uncertain conditions, tackling fast growing markets with severe lack of resources. Startups present an unique combination of characteristics which pose several challenges to the software development activities, creating interesting problems for software engineers. However, despite the increasing economical importance and the high failure rate, there are only a few sci- entific studies attempting to address software engineering (SE) issues, especially for early-stages startups. In a context where a wrong decision can easily lead the entire business to failure, the support of SE can contribute to foster performances of startups and making a big impact on a large number of companies. Objective: In view of a lack of primary studies, the first step to attending the software development strategies with scientific and engineering approaches is by an understanding of the startups’ behavior. For this reason this research aims to understand how software development strategies are engineered by practitioners, in the period of time that goes from idea conception to the first open beta release of the software product. Methods: This research combines a systematic review of the state-of-the-art with a cross- sectional case study conducted in 13 web startups recently founded and distributed in di↵erent geographic areas and market sectors. A grounded theory approach guided the execution of a sys- tematic mapping study, integrated with semi-structured interviews and follow-up questionnaires to explore the state-of-practice. Results: We selected, classified and evaluated 37 relevant studies. The systematic review revealed that the studies which constitute the body of knowledge are generally not rigorously designed and executed, make use of inconsistent terminology, and cover only small samples of startups. Moreover, we extrapolated concepts from the case study to form a theoretical model, explaining the underlying phenomenon of software development in early-stage startups. The model is grounded in the empirical data and its explanatory power was further validated through a systematic procedure. Finally we proposed a multi-faceted evolutionary model to describe the dynamics of the software development after the first product release. Conclusions: The research provided a wide set of evidences fostering the understanding of how software development is structured and executed, from idea conception to the first release. The results revealed the urgent priority of startups of releasing the product as quickly as possi- ble to verify the product/market fit and to adjust the business and product trajectory according to the early collected user feedbacks. Nevertheless, the initial gain obtained in speeding-up the development by low-precision and product-centric engineering activities is counterbalanced by the need of restructuring the product and the workflows before setting o↵ for further grow. In fact, when user requests and company’s size start to increase startups face an initial and temporary drop-down in productivity, creating the need of mitigation strategies to find a sweet spot between being fast enough to enter the market early while controlling the amount of accu- mulated technical debt. The conclusions can be generalized with a good degree of confidence to the majority of early-stage software startups involved in the production of innovative products, especially for web and mobile applications.

The ability of agile teams to adapt the project plan to unexpected problems is still a less-researched area. They must change the project plans as facing unexpected challenges and, even though existing studies relate some aspects to this ability, such as participatory decision-making, openness to discuss problems in an immediate sense and focus on actions to be taken in near future, these studies do not yet offer a complete theory, or set of practices, about how adaptation takes place. What actions and decisions of the team allow for adaptation? Improvisation is an approach that could potentially fill this gap and consists of someone executing an action without previously planning it, or doing it differently from the original plan, when facing a problem. This study presents an investigation of how agile teams adapt when facing unexpected changes or problems during the projects. The concept of improvisation is used and the study involved two agile software development teams and using Grounded Theory (GT). The results indicate that the teams apply different improvisation strategies, such as breaking standard work rules, as well as maintain habits that contribute positively to improvisation. Clients also play an important role in helping teams solve unexpected problems and should be invited to collaborate. These results can be used to assist professionals in search of more effectiveness in agile teams in terms of adapting the plan during the project.
A habilidade de os times ágeis adaptarem o plano do projeto de acordo com problemas inesperados ainda é uma área de pesquisa pouco explorada. Essas equipes precisam ser capazes de adaptar o plano do projeto quando se deparam com desafios inesperados e, ainda que os estudos relacionem alguns aspectos a essa habilidade, como tomada de decisão participativa, abertura para discutir problemas de imediato e foco em ações de curto prazo, os estudos ainda não oferecem uma teoria completa ou conjunto de práticas que descrevam como, de fato, a adaptação acontece. Quais ações e decisões do time lhe garantem a capacidade de adaptação? A improvisação é uma abordagem interessante para compreender esse gap, e consiste em executar uma ação sem previamente planejá-la, ou de uma maneira diferente do que a planejada, quando da ocorrência de um problema ou mudança inesperada. Esse estudo apresenta uma investigação da adaptação em projetos ágeis quando as equipes se deparam com mudanças ou problemas inesperados. O conceito da improvisação é usado e o estudo envolveu dois times ágeis que desenvolvem software, e utilizando o método Grounded theory (GT). Os resultados indicam que os times utilizam diferentes estratégias de improvisação, como quebrar regras de trabalho, assim como mantem hábitos que contribuem positivamente para a improvisação. O cliente também desempenha um papel importante ao ajudar os times a resolverem problemas inesperados, e portanto devem ser convidados a colaborar. Esses resultados podem ser usados para auxiliar profissionais no sentido de obter-se times ágeis mais efetivos na adaptação do plano durante o projeto.

This dissertation increases our understanding of information system project success by investigating how software development team members define the success of an information system development effort. The theoretical model of ISD success is developed and tested. ISD success is measured through the eyes of the software development team membersâ since they are the most influential stakeholders during the development of the system. This dissertation was conducted in two phases: 1) theory building and 2) theory testing. The theory building phase began with a thorough literature review. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data analyzed to add emergent concepts to the model. The result of the theory building phase is the theoretical model of ISD success. The theory testing stage began with the development and validation of a survey instrument to measure the constructs and subconstructs found within the theoretical model of ISD success. Data was collected and the model tested using partial least squares regression. The findings indicate that software development team members view ISD success as being composed of process quality, functional product quality, non-functional product quality, team member benefits, and team member satisfaction. Team member satisfaction is highly influenced by team member benefits, moderately influenced by functional product quality and slightly influence by non-functional product quality and process quality. Software development team members view process quality as being composed of within budget and process maturity; non-functional product as being composed of reliability, usability, testability, and efficiency; team member benefits as being composed of learning and teamwork; and team member satisfaction as being composed of product satisfaction, process satisfaction, and personal satisfaction. Software development team members do not view on time as a significant contributor to their definition of process quality; they do not view modifiability, portability, or reusability as significant contributors to their definition of non-functional product quality; and they do not view recognition as a significant contributor to team member benefits.
Ph. D.

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Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior
When crosscutting concerns identification is performed from the beginning of development, on the activities involved in requirements engineering, there are many gains in terms of quality, cost and efficiency throughout the lifecycle of software development. This early identification supports the evolution of requirements, detects possible flaws in the requirements specification, improves traceability among requirements, provides better software modularity and prevents possible rework. However, despite these several advantages, the crosscutting concerns identification over requirements engineering faces several difficulties such as the lack of systematization and tools that support it. Furthermore, it is difficult to justify why some concerns are identified as crosscutting or not, since this identification is, most often, made without any methodology that systematizes and bases it. In this context, this paper proposes an approach based on Grounded Theory, called GT4CCI, for systematizing and basing the process of identifying crosscutting concerns in the initial stages of the software development process in the requirements document. Grounded Theory is a renowned methodology for qualitative analysis of data. Through the use of GT4CCI it is possible to better understand, track and document concerns, adding gains in terms of quality, reliability and modularity of the entire lifecycle of software
Quando a identifica??o de interesses transversais ? feita desde o princ?pio do processo de desenvolvimento de software, ainda nas atividades relacionadas ? Engenharia de Requisitos, muitos s?o os ganhos em termos de qualidade, custo e efici?ncia ao longo do ciclo de vida do software. Esta identifica??o precoce d? suporte ? evolu??o de requisitos, detecta poss?veis falhas na especifica??o de requisitos, melhora a rastreabilidade entre os requisitos, proporciona uma melhor modulariza??o de software e previne poss?veis retrabalhos. Entretanto, apesar de todas estas vantagens, a identifica??o de interesses enfrenta diversas dificuldades, tais como a falta de sistematiza??o e de ferramentas que a ofere?am um bom suporte. Al?m disto, ? dif?cil, muitas vezes, justificar as raz?es pelas quais alguns interesses s?o ou n?o considerados transversais, uma vez que esta identifica??o ?, na maioria das vezes, feita sem qualquer metodologia que a sistematize e a embase. Neste contexto, este trabalho prop?e uma abordagem baseada nos princ?pios da Grounded Theory, chamada GT4CCI, que sistematiza e embasa o processo de identifica??o de interesses transversais nas etapas mais iniciais do processo de desenvolvimento de software, utilizando o documento de requisitos como artefato para a identifica??o. Grounded Theory ? uma renomada metodologia para a an?lise qualitativa de dados. Atrav?s do uso da abordagem GT4CCI ? poss?vel melhor compreender, rastrear e documentar interesses, adicionando assim ganhos em termos de qualidade, confiabilidade e modulariza??o ? todo o ciclo de vida do software

Em projetos de desenvolvimento a qualidade do produto de software é fundamental para o seu sucesso. Uma das etapas que busca garantir a qualidade do produto final é a validação, verificação e teste (VV&T). O teste é uma das atividades chave de VV&T realizada para garantir a qualidade. Técnicas de teste foram desenvolvidas para verificar e validar tanto requisitos funcionais como não funcionais. Além disso, essas técnicas são aplicadas nas organizações por meio de estratégias que definem os tipos de teste que serão realizados, a ordem de realização, a sua automatização e a frequência de ocorrência. Uma questão importante é verificar como essa atividade é realizada na indústria de software, como essas técnicas são utilizadas e a sua adoção em organizações desenvolvedoras de software. Este trabalho apresenta uma pesquisa qualitativa da atividade de teste. Ela utilizou a técnica teoria fundamentada aplicada em cinco empresas desenvolvedoras de software para estabelecer uma teoria da atividade de teste. Foram realizadas entrevistas com gestores de teste das empresas e, a partir dessas entrevistas, foi desenvolvido uma teoria sobre a organização da atividade de teste. Nesta teoria, observou-se que a estrutura organizacional direciona a escolha das técnicas e ferramentas, bem como o tipo do sistema; o prazo e orçamento condicionam a utilização de técnicas de automatização
In development projects the quality of the software product is critical to its success. One of the steps that enforces the quality of the final product is validation, verification and testing (VV&T). Testing is one of the key VV&T activities to ensure quality. Testing techniques were developed to verify and validate both functional and non-functional requirements. In addition, these techniques are applied in organizations using strategies that define the testing techniques that will be performed, the order of application, their automation and the frequency of occurrence. An important issue is to verify how testing is carried out in the software industry, how these techniques are used and their adoption in industrial settings. This work presents a qualitative research of the testing activity. It used the grounded theory technique applied in five software development organizations to establish a model of the testing activity. Interviews were conducted with testing managers and, from these interviews, an organizational theory of the testing activity was developed. In this theory, it was observed that the organizational structure directs the choice of techniques and tools, as well as the type of the system; project schedule and budget limit the use of automation techniques

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CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Several factors can influence the success of Software Process Improvement (SPI) programs. Results from previous research have shown that human and social aspects influence these programs in different ways. For this reason, it is important to analyze the human aspects involved on SPI programs to gain a better understanding about their influence on such programs. This thesis presents a research about human aspects influences in software process improvement. In this work, we analyze the major findings of a qualitative research conducted in three different phases to analyze which factors were most influential from view-point of the professionals working in the organizations. Our ultimate goal is to deepen the understanding about how human aspects can influence a SPI program in order to help in the success of future SPI implementation.
Diversos fatores podem influenciar o sucesso de um programa de Melhoria de Processo de Software (MPS). Os resultados de pesquisas anteriores mostram que vários desses fatores são de natureza humana e social. Por esta razão, é importante analisar os aspectos humanos envolvidos a fim de obter uma maior compreensão da influência destes em um programa MPS. Esta dissertação apresenta uma pesquisa sobre a influência dos aspectos humanos em Programas de MPS. Neste trabalho são analisados os principais resultados de uma pesquisa qualitativa conduzida em três diferentes fases para analisar quais fatores tiveram maior influência do ponto de vista dos colaboradores das organizações. O objetivo final é aprofundar a compreensão dos aspectos humanos que podem influenciar um programa de MPS com a finalidade de auxiliar no sucesso de futuros programas de melhoria.

Resulting from the technological revolution over the last few decades, many software startup ecosystems have emerged around the globe. Boosted by the Internet, the omnipresence of mobile devices, and the abundance of cloud-based services, software companies with scalable business models, known as startups, became all the hype. With tech entrepreneurs as their main agents, some of these ecosystems have existed for over 50 years, while others are newly born. This difference in evolution and maturity makes comparing tech hubs a challenge. Moreover, if they are to evolve towards fruitful and sustainable environments, nascent ecosystems need a clear vision of how to develop their community. This thesis presents a multiple-case study research in three different ecosystems, and it was divided in three phases. During the first phase, we analyzed the Israeli entrepreneurship ecosystem and, using grounded theory, created a conceptual generalized framework to map ecosystems. We also developed a methodology and a systematic interview protocol to be used to analyze any ecosystem. The second phase was performed in São Paulo, with the objective of refining and validating both the methodology and the conceptual framework. The second phase resulted in the discovery of how important it is to analyze ecosystem dynamics and evolution process, leading us to create a maturity model for software startup ecosystems. The maturity model was based on the conceptual model we created, mapping the most important factors that define an ecosystem. To validate and refine the Maturity Model created in the second phase, we ran a third case-study iteration in New York City. Based on the feedback from over a dozen experts, we generated the final model and a practical guide to determine an ecosystems maturity level. With this model, it is possible not only to compare different ecosystems, but also to identify gaps and propose customized practical actions that can yield meaningful improvements and lead ecosystems to the next level of development.
Resultado da revolução tecnológica das últimas décadas, vários ecossistemas de startups de software surgiram ao redor do globo. Acelerados pela Internet, pela onipresença dos dispositivos móveis e pela abundância de serviços de nuvem, empresas de software com modelos de negócio escalável, conhecidas como startups, se tornaram o assunto da moda. Com empreendedores de tecnologia como seus principais agentes, alguns desses ecossistemas já existem há mais de 50 anos, enquanto outros são apenas recém-nascidos. Essa diferença no grau de evolução e maturidade torna a comparação de aglomerados de tecnologia um desafio. Mais ainda, se alguns ecossistemas querem evoluir para um estágio próspero e sustentável, ecossitemas nascentes precisam de uma visão clara de como desenvolver suas comunidades. Esta tese apresenta nossa pesquisa baseada em um estudo de caso múltiplo em três diferentes ecossistemas, e foi dividade em três fases. Durante a primeira fase, nós analisamos o ecossistema empreendedor de Israel e, utilizando teoria fundamentada em dados, criamos um arcabouço conceitual que provê uma versão generalizada para mapear ecossistemas. Desenvolvemos, também, uma metodologia e um protocolo sistemático para entrevistas a serem usadas na análise de ecossistemas específicos. A segunda fase da pesquisa foi realizada em São Paulo, com o objetivo de refinar e validar a metodologia e o arcabouço conceitual. Esta fase resultou na descoberta de como é importante analisar a dinâmica e o processo de evolução dos ecossistemas, nos levando a criar um modelo de maturidade para ecossistemas de startups de software. O modelo de maturidade foi baseado no modelo conceitual que criamos, mapeando os fatores mais importantes que definem as características de um ecossistema. Para validar e refinar o modelo de maturidade criado na segunda fase, realizamos um terceiro estudo de caso em Nova Iorque que contou com o feedback de mais de uma dezena de especialistas. Geramos um modelo de maturidade final, um guia prático para determinar o nível de maturidade de cada ecossistema. Com esse modelo, é possível não somente comparar diferentes ecossistemas, como também identificar lacunas e propor ações práticas e personalizadas que podem resultar em melhorias significativas e levar ecossistemas ao próximo nível de desenvolvimento.

The study reported in this thesis aimed to provide an ontology of professional activities in the software industry that require and enable the acquisition of experience and that, in turn, is the basis for tacit knowledge creation. The rationale behind the creation of such an ontology was based on the need to externalise this tacit knowledge and then record such externalisations so that these can be shared and disseminated across organisations through electronic records management. The research problem here is to conciliate highly theoretical principles associated with tacit knowledge and the ill-defined and quasi-colloquial concept of experience into a tool that can be used by more technical and explicit knowledge minded practitioners of electronic records management. The ontology produced and proposed here provides exactly such a bridge, by identifying what aspects of professional and personal experience should be captured and organising these aspects into an explicit classification that can be used to capture the tacit knowledge and codify it into explicit knowledge. Since such ontologies are always closely related to actual contexts of practice, the researcher decided to choose her own national context of China, where she had worked before and had good guarantees of industrial access. This study used a multiple case-study Straussian Grounded Theory inductive approach. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews in order to get direct interaction with practitioners in the field and capture individuals opinions and perceptions, as well as interpret individuals understandings associated with these processes. The interviews were conducted in three different and representative types of company (SMEs, State Owned and Large Private) in an attempt to capture a rich variety of possible contexts in the SW sector in a Chinese context. Data analysis was conducted according to coding the procedures advocated by Grounded Theory, namely: open, axial and selective coding. Data collection and analysis was conducted until the emergent theory reached theoretical saturation. The theory generated identified 218 different codes out of 797 representative quotations. These codes were grouped and organised into a category hierarchy that includes 6 main categories and 31 sub-categories, which are, in turn, represented in the ontology proposed. This emergent theory indicates in a very concise manner that experienced SW development practitioners in China should be able to understand the nature and value of experience in the SW industry, effectively communicate with other stake holders in the SW development process, be able and motivated to actively engage with continuous professional development, be able to share knowledge with peers and the profession at large, effectively work on projects and exhibit a sound professional attitude both internally to their own company and externally to customers, partners and even competitors. This basic theory was then further analysed by applying selective coding. This resulted in a main theory centred on Working in Projects, which was clearly identified as the core activity in the SW Industry reflecting its design and development nature. Directly related with the core category, three other significant categories were identified as enablers: Communication, Knowledge Sharing and Individual Development. Additionally, Understanding the Nature of Experience in the SW Industry and Professional Attitude were identified as drivers for the entire process of reflection, experience acquisition and tacit knowledge construction by the individual practitioners. Finally, as an integral part of any inductive process of research, the final stage in this study was to position the emerged theory in the body of knowledge. This resulted in the understanding that the theory presented in this study bridges two extremely large bodies of literature: employability skills and competencies. Both of these bodies of literature put their emphasis in explicit knowledge concerning skills and competencies that are defined so that they can be measured and assessed. The focus of the theory proposed in this thesis on experience and resulting acquisition of tacit knowledge allows a natural link between the employability skills and competencies in the SW industry that was hitherto lacking in the body of knowledge. The ontology proposed is of interest to academics in the areas of knowledge management, electronic records management and information systems. The same ontology may be of interest to human resources practitioners to select and develop experienced personnel as well as knowledge and information professionals in organisations.

Abstract Background: Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for evidence that confirms a person’s preconceptions. Confirmation bias among software testers is their tendency to validate the correct functioning of the program rather than testing it to reveal errors. Psychology literature suggests that time pressure may promote confirmation bias because time pressure impedes analytical processing of the task at hand. Time pressure is perceived negatively for its effects in software engineering (SE), therefore, its effect on confirmation bias may exacerbate software quality. Objective: We aim to examine confirmation bias among software testers. Additionally, we examine the effect of time pressure on confirmation bias and how time pressure affects the testers’ perception of the performance. We also question what other antecedents to confirmation bias exist in software testing and how they lead to it. Method: We first examined the state of the art research on cognitive biases in SE using systematic mapping. Then, we empirically examined the feasibility of using students in further experiments. An experiment with 42 students (novice professionals) investigated the manifestation of confirmation bias and whether time pressure promotes it. Another experiment with 87 novice professionals examined the perception of the performance of software testers under time pressure. A grounded theory study based on the interview-data of 12 practitioners explored other antecedents to confirmation bias in software testing and how they lead to it. Results: Time pressure emerged as a major antecedent to confirmation bias in the grounded theory. Testers prefer to validate the correct functioning of the program under time pressure. However, time pressure could not significantly promote confirmation bias among testers. Software testers significantly manifest confirmation bias irrespective of time pressure. The perception of performance is also sustained irrespective of time pressure. Conclusion: Testers should develop self-awareness of confirmation bias and improve their perception of performance to improve their actual testing. In the industry, automated testing may alleviate confirmation bias due to time pressure by rapidly executing the test suites
Tiivistelmä Tausta: Vahvistusharha tarkoittaa taipumusta hakea ennakko-odotuksia vahvistavaa todistusaineistoa. Ohjelmistotestaajien vahvistusharha tarkoittaa taipumusta varmistaa ohjelmiston oikea toiminta mieluummin kuin hakea siitä virheitä. Psykologinen tutkimus esittää, että aikataulupaine voi lisätä vahvistusharhaa heikentämällä työn analyyttista tarkastelua. Aikataulupainetta pidetään ohjelmistotekniikan soveltamiseen kielteisesti vaikuttavana asiana, minkä johdosta sen vaikutus vahvistusharhaan voi heikentää ohjelmiston laatua. Tavoite: Tarkastelimme ohjelmistotestaajien vahvistusharhaa tutkimalla aikataulupaineen vaikutusta vahvistusharhaan ja testaajien käsitykseen testauksen tehokkuudesta. Lisäksi kysymme, mitkä muut tekijät johtavat ohjelmistotestauksen vahvistusharhaan, ja millä tavoin. Menetelmä: Ensiksi tarkastelimme ohjelmistotekniikan kognitiivisten harhojen viimeisintä tutkimusta systemaattista kirjallisuuskartoituksella. Sitten tutkimme kokeellisesti, miten yliopisto-opiskelijat soveltuvat käytettäväksi tutkimusjoukkona vahvistusharhan kokeellisessa tutkimuksessa. Kokeellinen tutkimus, johon osallistui 42 opiskelijaa (aloittelevaa ammattilaista), tarkasteli vahvistusharhan lisääntymistä aikataulupaineen vaikutuksesta. Toinen kokeellinen tutkimus, johon osallistui 87 aloittelevaa ammattilaista, tarkasteli ohjelmistotestaajien käsitystä testauksen tehokkuudesta aikataulupaineen alla. Kahdeltatoista ammattilaiselta haastattelemalla kerätystä tutkimusaineistosta tarkasteltiin ankkuroidun teorian menetelmällä muiden mahdollisten tekijöiden vaikutusta vahvistusharhaan. Tulokset: Ankkuroidussa teoriassa aikataulupaine osoittautui merkittäväksi vahvistusharhan tekijäksi. Ammattimaiset ohjelmistotestaajat haluavat mieluummin validoida ohjelmiston oikean toiminnan aikataulupaineessa. Toisessa kokeellisessa tutkimuksessa aikataulupaine ei kuitenkaan lisännyt merkittävästi testaajien vahvistusharhaa, vaan testaajien vahvistusharha ilmeni merkittävästi aikataulupaineista riippumatta. Myös käsitys työn tehokkuudesta säilyi riippumatta aikataulupaineesta. Johtopäätös: Ohjelmistotestaajien on syytä kehittää tietoisuuttaan vahvistusharhasta ja parantaa käsitystään työn tehokkuudesta parantaakseen testaustyötä. Teollisuudessa automaattinen testaus voi lieventää aikataulupaineen aiheuttamaa vahvistusharhaa nopeuttamalla testisarjoja

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CAPES
Contexto: Em projetos tradicionais de desenvolvimento de software, a participação do cliente limita-se ao fornecimento de requisitos no início e feedback ao final, com interações regulares, mas pouco frequentes, entre o cliente e a equipe de desenvolvimento. O paradigma ágil introduz a premissa de que a colaboração do cliente durante todo o ciclo de desenvolvimento de software é um recurso primordial para dar mais agilidade ao projeto. Contudo, pesquisas empíricas sobre as consequências do envolvimento do cliente no processo de produção de equipes ágeis ainda são escassas. Objetivo: Essa problemática incentivou a realização de um estudo empírico, com o objetivo de investigar os impactos da influência do cliente no desenvolvimento de software em equipes que utilizam práticas ágeis. Método: Devido ao tipo de fenômeno em investigação, optou-se pela realização de um estudo de caso qualitativo em uma empresa de desenvolvimento de software, na cidade de Recife, Pernambuco. Para coleta de dados foram realizadas entrevistas e observações não participantes. O método utilizado para tratamento e análise dos dados foi a Teoria Fundamentada (Grounded Theory). Resultados: O estudo indica que, sob certas condições contextuais, as elevadas intervenções do cliente podem levar ao microgerenciamento das equipes e inspiram o surgimento de variados tipos de conflitos. Além disso, afetam aspectos importantes para a manutenção da agilidade das equipes, tais como: a satisfação e motivação dos indivíduos, e a sua autonomia e autorregulação. Os resultados embasaram a construção de um modelo do impacto do envolvimento do cliente, no qual os principais fatores emergentes da pesquisa são correlacionados. Conclusões: Esta pesquisa contribui com o entendimento sobre os impactos do envolvimento do cliente no desenvolvimento de software. O modelo nela apresentado pode fundamentar reflexões futuras sobre as causas e as consequências da intervenção do cliente na agilidade da equipe, e ajudar na criação de estratégias para mitigar os efeitos negativos dessas intervenções. Este estudo também contribui com a literatura sobre os fatores humanos na engenharia de software.
Context: In traditional software development projects, customer participation is limited to provide requirements at the beginning and feedback at the end, with regular, but not frequent, interactions between the client and the development team. The Agile paradigm introduces the premise that customer collaboration throughout the software development cycle is a key feature to give more agility to the project. However, empirical research on the consequences of customer involvement in production process of Agile teams are still scarce. Objective: Our goals is to conduct an empirical study in order to investigate the influence of customer impact in the development of software in teams using Agile practices. Method: Due to the type of phenomenon under investigation, it was decided to perform a qualitative case study on a software development company in the city of Recife, Pernambuco. For data collection we used interviews and non-participant observations. The method used for processing and analysis of data was the Grounded Theory. Results: The study shows that under certain contextual conditions, high customer interventions can lead to micromanagement of teams and inspire the emergence of various types of conflicts. In addition, these interventions affect important aspects of teams’ agility, such as the satisfaction and motivation of individuals, and their autonomy and self-regulation. The results supported the construction of a client engagement impact model in which the main factors emerging from the case study are correlated. Conclusions: This research contributes to the understanding of customer involvement impacts on software development. The model presented can support future reflections on the causes and consequences of customer involvement on the Agility of software teams, and assist in the creation of strategies to mitigate the negative effects of these interventions. This study contributes to the literature on human factors in software engineering.

Social Software-Technologien finden immer stärker Einzug in den Intranets der Unternehmen. Insbesondere der Einsatz von Enterprise Wikis hat sich durchgesetzt. In diesem Paper wird untersucht, auf welche Art und Weise Enterprise Wikis eingesetzt werden können. Hierfür wird mittels der Grounded Theory-Methodik eine Untersuchung des Enterprise Wikis „TeamWeb“ der T-Systems Multimedia Solutions GmbH durchgeführt. Auf Basis einer Analyse der TeamWeb-Spaces wird eine Einsatzszenarien-Typologie konstruiert, welche die Typen „Bereichspräsentation und -kommunikation“, „Nachschlagen und Lernen“, „Projekt- und Bereichsorganisation“ und „Kollaborative Konzeption“ unterscheidet. Im Anschluss wurde die der Nutzung zugrundeliegende Motivation mit Hilfe von semi-strukturierten Gesprächen mit den Wiki-Nutzern weiterführend untersucht. Hierbei wurde festgestellt, dass die Nutzungsmotive ausschließlich egoistischer Natur sind. Diese Erkenntnis wird im Paper zu einer allgemeinen Theorie zur Nutzungsmotivation in Enterprise Wikis ausgebaut.

Context: Agile/lean development has been successful situations where small teams collaborate over long periods of time with project stakeholders. Unclear is how such teams plan and coordinate their work in such situations where inter-dependencies with other projects exist. In large organizations, scattered teams and complex team structure makes it difficult for every stakeholder to have a clear understanding of project information. These factors make it difficult for large‐scale organizations to adopt the agile/lean development paradigm. Objectives: The goal of conducting this study is to find the information visualization techniques that ease or resolve the challenges of agile development in large-scale organizations. The study reports the challenges of agile development and information visualization techniques in literature and reported by industrial experts. Additionally, proposed a guideline that how information visualization technique can be used to ease or resolve related challenge of agile development. Methods: For this particular study, two research methodologies are used; Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Industrial Survey. Two SLRs are performed for finding 1) challenges of agile development and 2) information visualization techniques in agile development. Data sources like Engineering Village (Inspec/ Compendex), IEEE Explore digital library, ACM digital library, Science Direct, ISI-Web of knowledge; Scopus were used to select primary study. Industrial survey was conducted in order to obtain empirical evidence to our findings. In survey, mainly questions were related to challenges of agile development and information visualization techniques practiced by industrial experts. Results: 84 different challenges of agile development found in literature and by applying grounded theory we found 9 distinct categories of challenges. There were 55 challenges reported by industrial experts in survey which later grouped into 10 distinct challenges. 45 information visualization techniques found in literature and grouped into 21 distinct technologies. There were 47 different information visualization techniques reported by industrial experts. When we grouped these techniques there were 9 distinct technologies found by applying open, axial and selective coding of grounded theory Conclusions: Systematic Literature Review and Industrial Survey confirmed that information visualization techniques can be used to ease or resolve challenges of agile development. Along with other visualization techniques, Data Flow Diagrams, UML, Use Case Diagrams, Burn Down Charts, Scrum Story Board, Kanban Boards and Gantt Chart are highly reported techniques found through systematic literature review and later confirmed by industrial experts. On the other hand, through survey we found that industrial experts mainly rely on informal and customized information visualization techniques to visualize information.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010.
Committee Chair: Bruckman, Amy; Committee Member: Grinter, Rebecca; Committee Member: Grudin, Jonathan; Committee Member: Guzdial, Mark; Committee Member: Kolodner, Janet. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

El problema a investigar és l'ocupació del limitat temps disponible dedicat al nucli familiar. Requereix una distribució conscient, orientant cap a uns objectius concrets. Examinem la interacció en un cas únic familiar gravat en vídeo, utilitzant la metodologia Grounded Theory, mitjançant el programari informàtic Atlas.tu. Apliquem l'Anàlisi Transaccional, observant què provoca problemes, com es transmeten valors, la imposició de límits, si el format utilitzat ha estat efectiu, i comparant-lo amb la teoria, quin és el motiu. Detectem els àmbits problemàtics i posteriorment realitzem una intervenció psicològica. Pretenem crear un sistema d'educar en els quatre valors bàsics proposats, sobre la base de la utilització d'una estructura del temps basada en tres eixos: temps, comunicació i valors.
El problema a investigar es el empleo del limitado tiempo disponible dedicado al núcleo familiar. Requiere una distribución consciente, orientando hacia unos objetivos concretos. Examinamos la interacción en un caso único familiar grabado en video, utilizando la metodología Grounded Theory, mediante el software informático Atlas.ti. Aplicamos el Análisis Transaccional, observando qué provoca problemas, cómo se transmiten valores, la imposición de límites, si el formato utilizado ha sido efectivo, y comparándolo con la teoría, cuál es el motivo. Detectamos los ámbitos problemáticos y posteriormente realizamos una intervención psicológica. Pretendemos crear un sistema de educar en los cuatro valores básicos propuestos, en base a la utilización de una estructura del tiempo basada en tres ejes: tiempo, comunicación y valores.
The issue under research is the use of limited available time devoted to family. Time distribution requires a conscious, moving towards specific targets. We examined the interaction in a single case family videotaped using Grounded Theory methodology, computer software Atlas.ti is used. We apply Transactional Analysis, looking at the causes of problems, how values are transmitted, the imposition of limits, if the format has been effective, and compared with theory, what are the reasons. We identify problem areas and accomplish a psychological intervention. We want to create a system of education in the proposed four core values, based on the use of a time structure based on three axes: time, communication and values.

The emergence of cloud computing is influencing how businesses develop, re-engineer, and implement critical software applications. The cloud requires developers to elevate the importance of compliance with security policies, regulations and internal engineering standards in their software development life cycles. Cloud computing and agile development methodologies are new technologies associated with new approaches in the way computing services are provisioned and development of quality software enhanced. However adoption and use of agile and cloud computing by SMMEs in South Africa is seemingly constrained by a number of technical and non-technical challenges. Using Grounded Theory and case study method this study was aimed at exploring the development of a framework for agile methodologies to promote the adoption and use of cloud computing services by SMMEs in South Africa. Data was collected through survey and in-depth interviews. Open, Axial and Selective coding was used to analyse the data. In tandem with its main objective the study, besides exploring the development of the envisaged framework, also generated and made available valuable propositions and knowledge that SMMEs in South Africa using agile development methodologies can use to work better with cloud computing services in the country without compromising on software quality. The findings of this study and the emerging insights around the development of the framework, which in itself also constitutes an important decision making tool for supporting adoption and use of cloud computing services, are a substantial contribution to knowledge and practice in the ICT field of information systems in South Africa
Information Science
D. Phil. (Information Systems)

The object-oriented paradigm is widely advocated and has been used in South African universities since the late 1990s. Object-oriented computer programming is based on the object-oriented paradigm where objects are the building blocks that combine data and methods in the same entity. Students' performance in object-oriented programming (OOP) is a matter of concern. In many cases they lack the ability to apply various supportive techniques in the process of programming. Efficient knowledge, skills and strategies are required during problem solving to enhance the programming process. It is often assumed that students implicitly and independently master these high-level knowledge, skills and strategies, and that teaching should focus on programming content and coding structures only. However, to be successful in the complex domain of OOP, explicit learning of both programming and supportive cognitive techniques is required. The objective of this study was to identify cognitive, metacognitive and problem-solving knowledge, skills and strategies used by successful and unsuccessful programmers in OOP. These activities were identified and evaluated in an empirical research study. A mixed research design was used, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to analyse participants' data. As a qualitative research practice, grounded theory was applied to guide the systematic collection of data and to generate theory. The findings suggest that successful programmers applied significantly more cognitive-, metacognitive- and problem-solving knowledge, skills and strategies, also using a greater variety, than the unsuccessful programmers. Since programming is complex, we propose a learning repertoire based on the approaches of successful programmers, to serve as an integrated framework to support novices in learning OOP. Various techniques should be used during problem solving and programming to meaningfully construct, explicitly reflect on, and critically select appropriate knowledge, skills and strategies so as to better understand, design, code and test programs. Some examples of teaching practices are also outlined as application of the findings of the study.
Mathematical Sciences
PhD. (Nathematics, Science and Tecnical Education)