Exploring language in software process elicitation: A grounded theory approach

This paper presents the results of exploratory research that investigated how people describe software processes in natural language. We conducted a small field study with four participants working at an IT Help Desk. We elicited and documented a trouble ticketing process using a template under conditions similar to that of many process improvement initiatives. This study included two treatments. In the first treatment, the process engineer elicited information and documented the process. In the second treatment, the participants used the template to document the process on their own. The resulting data, including the process representations, observation field notes, and interview transcripts, were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The results suggest that there are distinct ways in which process users describe process. We construct a theory that posits that descriptions of process are dependent upon perspectives shaped by the elicitation and process context. Future research will focus on the evaluation of this theory relative to other elicitation approaches and contexts.