LadderBot: A requirements self-elicitation system

Digital transformation impacts an ever-increasing amount of everyone’s business and private life. It is imperative to incorporate user requirements in the development process to design successful information systems (IS). Hence, requirements elicitation (RE) is increasingly performed by users that are novices at contributing requirements to IS development projects. [Objective] We need to develop RE systems that are capable of assisting a wide audience of users in communicating their needs and requirements. Prominent methods, such as elicitation interviews, are challenging to apply in such a context, as time and location constraints limit potential audiences. [Research Method] We present the prototypical self-elicitation system “LadderBot”. A conversational agent (CA) enables end-users to articulate needs and requirements on the grounds of the laddering method. The CA mimics a human (expert) interviewer’s capability to rephrase questions and provide assistance in the process. An experimental study is proposed to evaluate LadderBot against an established questionnaire-based laddering approach. [Contribution] This work-in-progress introduces the chatbot LadderBot as a tool to guide novice users during requirements self-elicitation using the laddering technique. Furthermore, we present the design of an experimental study and outline the next steps and a vision for the future

How Informal Control Modes affect Developers\u27 Trust in a Platform Vendor and Platform Stickiness

Although IS literature is quite rich on analyzing control modes in inter-organizational relationships, there exists quite sparse empirical work on the effects of control modes on the relationship between a platform vendor and third-party developers in software-based platform ecosystems. Drawing on IS control literature and trust theory, we conducted an online survey with 125 game developers of the online gaming platform Steam, in which we examined the perception of clan and self-control mechanisms and how they influence developers\u27 trust in the platform vendor and their intention to stick with the platform. We demonstrate that clan control positively impacts both trust and stickiness, while self-control only affects the latter. Further, our results show that developers\u27 trust in the platform vendor serves as a mediator explaining the mechanisms of why clan control positively affects platform stickiness

Encouraging IS developers to learn business skills: an examination of the MARS model

Though prior research has recognized business skills as one of the keys to successful information system development, few studies have investigated the determinants of an IS developer’s behavioral intention to learn such skills. Based on the Motivation–Ability–Role Perception–Situational factors (i.e., the MARS model), this study argues that the intention of IS developers to acquire business skills is influenced by learning motivation (M), learning self-efficacy (A), change agent role perception (R), and situational support (S). Data collected from 254 IS developers are analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. Results show that a developer’s intention to learn business skills is positively influenced by intrinsic learning motivation and both absolute and relative learning self-efficacy. Furthermore, in comparison to two other change agent roles, the advocate role leads to a significantly higher level of learning intention. Finally, work and non-work support positively influence both extrinsic and intrinsic learning motivation. Notably, non-work support has a greater impact on both absolute and relative learning self-efficacy. Our results suggest several theoretical and practical implications

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

The social acceptance of wind energy: Where we stand and the path ahead

Social acceptance is a key challenge for the deployment of wind energy and could limit the overall wind resource we are able to exploit to meet climate change targets. Social acceptance can be influenced by a very wide range of factors, including project characteristics, perception of the distribution of costs and benefits, degree of public participation. Perceived impacts of projects on landscapes, property values, health and biodiversity also influence social acceptance. This complexity means that acceptance cannot be addressed through simple fixes such as community benefit funds or just more consultation, but we need a far more fundamental reform of how energy systems engage with communities and citizens.JRC.G.10-Knowledge for Nuclear Security and Safet