Computer-mediated communication to support distributed requirements elicitations and negotiations tasks.
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| Title: | Computer-mediated communication to support distributed requirements elicitations and negotiations tasks. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Calefato, Fabio1 calefato@di.uniba.it, Damian, Daniela2 danielad@cs.uvic.ca, Lanubile, Filippo1 lanubile@di.uniba.it |
| Source: | Empirical Software Engineering. Dec2012, Vol. 17 Issue 6, p640-674. 35p. |
| Subjects: | Telematics, Requirements engineering, Computer software development, Face-to-face communication, Communication & technology |
| Abstract: | Requirements engineering is one of the most communication-intensive activities in software development, greatly affected by project stakeholder geographical distribution. Despite advances in collaboration technologies, global software teams continue to experience significant challenges in the elicitation and negotiation of requirements. Deciding which communication technologies to deploy to achieve effective communication in distributed requirements engineering activities is not a trivial task. Is face-to-face or text-based communication more appropriate for requirements elicitations and negotiations? In teams that do not have access to face-to-face communication, is text-based communication more useful in requirements elicitations than in requirements negotiations? Here, we report an empirical study that analyzes the effectiveness of synchronous computer-mediated communication in requirements elicitations and negotiations. Our investigation is guided by a theoretical framework that we developed from theories of computer-mediated communication, common ground, and media selection for group tasks; a framework that considers the effectiveness of a communication medium in relation to the information richness needs of requirements elicitation and negotiation tasks. Our findings bring forward empirical evidence about the perceived as well as objective fit between synchronous communication technology and requirements tasks. First, face-to-face is not always the most preferred medium for requirements tasks, and we reveal a number of conditions in which, in contrast to common belief, text-based communication is preferred for requirements communication. Second, we find that in evaluating outcomes of requirements elicitations and negotiations objectively, group performance is not affected by the communication medium. Third, when groups interact only via text-based communication, common ground in requirements negotiations takes longer to achieve than in requirements elicitations, indicating that distributed requirements elicitation is the task where computer-mediated communication tools have most opportunity for successful application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Empirical Software Engineering is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 79309518 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Computer-mediated communication to support distributed requirements elicitations and negotiations tasks. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Calefato%2C+Fabio%22">Calefato, Fabio</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> calefato@di.uniba.it</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Damian%2C+Daniela%22">Damian, Daniela</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><i> danielad@cs.uvic.ca</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lanubile%2C+Filippo%22">Lanubile, Filippo</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> lanubile@di.uniba.it</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Empirical+Software+Engineering%22">Empirical Software Engineering</searchLink>. Dec2012, Vol. 17 Issue 6, p640-674. 35p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Telematics%22">Telematics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Requirements+engineering%22">Requirements engineering</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+software+development%22">Computer software development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Face-to-face+communication%22">Face-to-face communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+%26+technology%22">Communication & technology</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Requirements engineering is one of the most communication-intensive activities in software development, greatly affected by project stakeholder geographical distribution. Despite advances in collaboration technologies, global software teams continue to experience significant challenges in the elicitation and negotiation of requirements. Deciding which communication technologies to deploy to achieve effective communication in distributed requirements engineering activities is not a trivial task. Is face-to-face or text-based communication more appropriate for requirements elicitations and negotiations? In teams that do not have access to face-to-face communication, is text-based communication more useful in requirements elicitations than in requirements negotiations? Here, we report an empirical study that analyzes the effectiveness of synchronous computer-mediated communication in requirements elicitations and negotiations. Our investigation is guided by a theoretical framework that we developed from theories of computer-mediated communication, common ground, and media selection for group tasks; a framework that considers the effectiveness of a communication medium in relation to the information richness needs of requirements elicitation and negotiation tasks. Our findings bring forward empirical evidence about the perceived as well as objective fit between synchronous communication technology and requirements tasks. First, face-to-face is not always the most preferred medium for requirements tasks, and we reveal a number of conditions in which, in contrast to common belief, text-based communication is preferred for requirements communication. Second, we find that in evaluating outcomes of requirements elicitations and negotiations objectively, group performance is not affected by the communication medium. Third, when groups interact only via text-based communication, common ground in requirements negotiations takes longer to achieve than in requirements elicitations, indicating that distributed requirements elicitation is the task where computer-mediated communication tools have most opportunity for successful application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Empirical Software Engineering is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10664-011-9179-3 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 35 StartPage: 640 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Telematics Type: general – SubjectFull: Requirements engineering Type: general – SubjectFull: Computer software development Type: general – SubjectFull: Face-to-face communication Type: general – SubjectFull: Communication & technology Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Computer-mediated communication to support distributed requirements elicitations and negotiations tasks. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Calefato, Fabio – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Damian, Daniela – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lanubile, Filippo IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 12 Text: Dec2012 Type: published Y: 2012 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 13823256 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 17 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: Empirical Software Engineering Type: main |
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