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Article

Alignment practices affect distances in software development: a theory and a model

Authors:

Elizabeth Bjarnason,

Kari Smolander,

Emelie Engström,

Per RunesonAuthors Info & Claims

GTSE 2014: Proceedings of the 3rd SEMAT Workshop on General Theories of Software Engineering

Pages 21 - 31

https://doi.org/10.1145/2593752.2593757

Published: 02 June 2014 Publication History

Abstract

Coordinating a software project across distances is challenging. Even without geographical and time zone distances, other distances within a project can cause communication gaps. For example, organisational and cognitive distances between product owners and development-near roles such as developers and testers can lead to weak alignment of the software and the business requirements. Applying good software development practices, known to enhance alignment, can alleviate these challenges. We present a theoretical model called the Gap Model of how alignment practices affect different types of distances. This model has been inductively generated from empirical data. We also present an initial version of a theory based on this model that explains, at a general level, how practices affect communication within a project by impacting distances between people, activities and artefacts. The presented results provide a basis for further research and can be used by software organisations to improve on software practice.

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Cited By

Camargo‐Henríquez ISilva A(2023)Understanding Software‐centered Evolutive Ecosystems through Activity TheoryJournal of Software: Evolution and Process10.1002/smr.256035:12Online publication date: 16-Mar-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/smr.2560
Bonifácio BEkwoge OBernardon CSouto T(2021)How do Testers Feel it? An Experience Report on Evaluating TX in an Industrial ContextProceedings of the 6th Brazilian Symposium on Systematic and Automated Software Testing10.1145/3482909.3482917(55-63)Online publication date: 27-Sep-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3482909.3482917
Bjarnason ESharp H(2017)The role of distances in requirements communicationRequirements Engineering10.1007/s00766-015-0233-322:1(1-26)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00766-015-0233-3
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cover image ACM Conferences

GTSE 2014: Proceedings of the 3rd SEMAT Workshop on General Theories of Software Engineering

June 2014

39 pages

ISBN:9781450328500

DOI:10.1145/2593752

Copyright © 2014 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Published: 02 June 2014

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ICSE '14: 36th International Conference on Software Engineering

June 2, 2014

Hyderabad, India

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Cited By

Camargo‐Henríquez ISilva A(2023)Understanding Software‐centered Evolutive Ecosystems through Activity TheoryJournal of Software: Evolution and Process10.1002/smr.256035:12Online publication date: 16-Mar-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1002/smr.2560
Bonifácio BEkwoge OBernardon CSouto T(2021)How do Testers Feel it? An Experience Report on Evaluating TX in an Industrial ContextProceedings of the 6th Brazilian Symposium on Systematic and Automated Software Testing10.1145/3482909.3482917(55-63)Online publication date: 27-Sep-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3482909.3482917
Bjarnason ESharp H(2017)The role of distances in requirements communicationRequirements Engineering10.1007/s00766-015-0233-322:1(1-26)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00766-015-0233-3
Ralph P(2016)Software engineering process theoryInformation and Software Technology10.1016/j.infsof.2015.06.01070:C(232-250)Online publication date: 1-Feb-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.06.010
Bjarnason ESmolander KEngström ERuneson P(2016)A theory of distances in software engineeringInformation and Software Technology10.1016/j.infsof.2015.05.00470:C(204-219)Online publication date: 1-Feb-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.infsof.2015.05.004
Liebel GTichy MKnauss ELjungkrantz OStieglbauer G(2016)Organisation and communication problems in automotive requirements engineeringRequirements Engineering10.1007/s00766-016-0261-723:1(145-167)Online publication date: 28-Oct-2016
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00766-016-0261-7
Schneider KLiskin OBegel APrikladnicki RDittrich Yde Souza CSarma AAthavale S(2015)Exploring FLOW distance in project communicationProceedings of the Eighth International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering10.5555/2819321.2819347(117-118)Online publication date: 16-May-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2819321.2819347
Ralph PEngels GJacobson IGoedicke MBertolino ACanfora GElbaum S(2015)4th SEMAT workshop on general theory of software engineering (GTSE 2015)Proceedings of the 37th International Conference on Software Engineering - Volume 210.5555/2819009.2819241(983-984)Online publication date: 16-May-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2819009.2819241
Ralph PEngels GJacobson IGoedicke M(2015)4th SEMAT Workshop on General Theory of Software Engineering (GTSE 2015)2015 IEEE/ACM 37th IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering10.1109/ICSE.2015.316(983-984)Online publication date: May-2015
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSE.2015.316
Schneider KLiskin O(2015)Exploring FLOW Distance in Project CommunicationProceedings of the 2015 IEEE/ACM 8th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering10.1109/CHASE.2015.20(117-118)Online publication date: 18-May-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/CHASE.2015.20
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