The Influence of Environmental Parameters on the Acceptance of Collaboration Tools

Abstract: The configuration of the collaboration environment has a significant influence on the development and the use of a collaboration tool. During the development process an optimal adaptation of the collaboration tool to the environment takes place. This has a substantial effect on the success and the use of the tool which depends on the acceptance by the end-users. The use of a collaboration tool in a new, different collaboration environment depends on the match of this environment with the environment the tool was developed in. This has to be considered and checked during the selection process of collaboration tools. However current selection procedures for software do not comprise any criteria supporting the comparison of collaboration environments. The current article submits a proposal for an add-on to selection procedures defining new selection criteria. The deduction of such criteria is presented for the sub process of ‘Elicitation of problem and change requests ’ of the software development process on base of the collaboration tool OpenProposal.