Misaligned Values in Software Engineering Organizations

The values of software organizations are crucial for achieving high performance; in particular, agile development approaches emphasize their importance. Researchers have thus far often assumed that a specific set of values, compatible with the development methodologies, must be adopted homogeneously throughout the company. It is not clear, however, to what extent such assumptions are accurate. Preliminary findings have highlighted the misalignment of values between groups as a source of problems when engineers discuss their challenges. Therefore, in this study, we examine how discrepancies in values between groups affect software companies' performance. To meet our objectives, we chose a mixed method research design. First, we collected qualitative data by interviewing fourteen (\textit{N} = 14) employees working in four different organizations and processed it using thematic analysis. We then surveyed seven organizations (\textit{N} = 184). Our analysis indicated that value misalignment between groups is related to organizational performance. The aligned companies were more effective, more satisfied, had higher trust, and fewer conflicts. Our efforts provide encouraging findings in a critical software engineering research area. They can help to explain why some companies are more efficient than others and, thus, point the way to interventions to address organizational challenges.Comment: accepted for publication in Journal of Software: Evolution and Proces

Overview of existing instrumentation relevant for ocean observatories

Peer Reviewe

A design-build contractor risk assessment framework for new technical solutions in the construction industry

Design–build contractors are often challenged to introduce new technical solutions into construction projects. However, they might not have methods and resources required to avoid serial failure, which is defined as multiple cases of failure when a technical solution fails to sustain the performance requirements. Here, the focus is on serial failures arising from the design or production that could have been predicted through calculations or assessment during the design phase. This work aims to reduce the occurrence of serial failures related to new technical solutions by suggesting a systematic approach for risk assessment with a focus on moisture safety, seen from a design–build contractor perspective. Earlier studies on methods and tools for evaluation and risk assessment of technical solutions were used to define a framework for the risk assessment approach. Current practices of implementing new technical solutions and the need for improvement were explored via semi-structured interviews. Two case studies of recent new technical solutions were used in the subsequent evaluation: cross-laminated timber in the construction phase and joint sealing tape in precast concrete sandwich facades. Besides the technical findings of risk evaluations based on the framework used in each case study, the proposed risk assessment framework is shown to provide a structured evaluation method that can be applied as a pre-qualification for new technical solutions before their implementation in construction projects. The company-level perspective, tollgates to structure the process, expert involvement in workshops and structured documentation and communication of assessment and results are the framework’s key elements. The framework facilitates the implementation of new technical solutions and helps the design–build contractor to prevent or reduce the occurrence of serial failures when introducing new technical solutions

Impact on a CLT structure concerning moisture and mould growth using weather protection

Timber buildings, including cross laminated timber (CLT), are gaining market shares globally, mainly due to anticipated environmental benefits, but a new technical solution also raises new questions. Durability is critical to obtain real sustainable constructions built for the future. There are field studies concerning hygrothermal conditions of timber structures, however, there is a lack of documented experiences combining hygrothermal conditions, mould growth potential and weather protection during construction using CLT. The use of full weather protection is being debated in the building industry as well as in the research community, due to lack of knowledge of the combined effects. How does weather protection during the construction affect hygrothermal conditions and risk of mould growth in a CLT structure? A case study using a weather protected six-storey CLT building was performed. The hygrothermal conditions - indoors and outdoors - were monitored during construction and samples from CLT were analysed with respect to mould. The results were analysed together with simulations of mould growth using actual hygrothermal conditions. Theoretical conclusions show the weather protection gives significantly improved conditions resulting in lower potential of mould growth compared to outdoor conditions. The results also show lessons to be learned concerning planning of the construction site

An in situ instrument for planar O2 optode measurements at benthic interfaces

A new in situ instrument for two‐dimensional mapping of oxygen in coastal sediments is presented. The measuring principle is described, and potential mechanical disturbances, solute and particle smearing associated with the measurements, and calibration routines are evaluated. The first in situ measurements obtained in two different benthic communities are presented. In a shallow photosynthetic sediment (1 m of water depth), an extensive horizontal and temporal variation in the O2 distribution caused by benthic photosynthesis and irrigating fauna was resolved. Repetitive planar optode measurements performed along a transect in central Øresund, Denmark (17 m of water depth) revealed a positive correlation between the apparent O2 penetration depths (OP) measured with a lateral distance <5.0 mm, whereas OP measured with a larger horizontal distance (up to 50 m) were not correlated. Consequently, the OP varied in patches with a characteristic size of 5.0 mm. The instrument described is a powerful new tool for in situ characterization of spatiotemporal variations in O2 distributions within benthic communities. The instrument can be adapted for use at full ocean depths, e.g., on deep‐sea landers or remote operating vehicles

Qualitative software engineering research -- reflections and guidelines

Researchers are increasingly recognizing the importance of human aspects in software development and since qualitative methods are used to, in-depth, explore human behavior, we believe that studies using such techniques will become more common. Existing qualitative software engineering guidelines do not cover the full breadth of qualitative methods and knowledge on using them found in the social sciences. The aim of this study was thus to extend the software engineering research community's current body of knowledge regarding available qualitative methods and provide recommendations and guidelines for their use. With the support of an epistemological argument and a literature review, we suggest that future research would benefit from (1) utilizing a broader set of research methods, (2) more strongly emphasizing reflexivity, and (3) employing qualitative guidelines and quality criteria. We present an overview of three qualitative methods commonly used in social sciences but rarely seen in software engineering research, namely interpretative phenomenological analysis, narrative analysis, and discourse analysis. Furthermore, we discuss the meaning of reflexivity in relation to the software engineering context and suggest means of fostering it. Our paper will help software engineering researchers better select and then guide the application of a broader set of qualitative research methods.Comment: 30 page

Inter-organizational information sharing of customer data in retail

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-53).As massive online retailers are putting increasing pressure on the traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, new ways to compete for customers is needed. Identifying customers' behavior and understanding their needs could be a crucial way for firms to improve their competitive advantage. One way to better understand customers could be for retailers to collaborate and aggregate their customer data in order to gain more holistic understandings of customers. This thesis examines on a high-level how customer data is used in retail today and what new value can be generated by collaborating and aggregating customer data, both for businesses as well as for consumers. It then goes on to identify structures of customer data sharing that we observe today and what the underlying factors are for each structure. By projecting how these factors will evolve over time, different scenarios are drawn up of what we might expect to see in the retail industry in the future in terms of customer data sharing. The implications of those projections could possibly open up for new business opportunities, both for entrepreneurs as well as incumbent retailers.by John C.F. Tengberg.S.M

The multipurpose date palm 'tree': anatomical identification of modern palm stems and practical application in the archaeological site of Madâ'in Sâlih (Saudi Arabia)

International audienc

Risk assessment framework to avoid serial failure for new technical solutions applied to the construction of a clt structure resilient to climate

Design-build contractors are challenged with the task of minimizing failure risks when introducing new technical solutions or adapting technical solutions to new conditions, e.g., climate change. They seem to have a disproportional trust in suppliers and their reference cases and might not have adequate resources or methodologies for sufficient evaluation. This creates the potential for serial failures to spread in the construction industry. To mitigate this, it was suggested that a predefined risk assessment framework should be introduced with the aim of providing a prequalification and requirements for the use of the technical solution. The objectives of this paper are to develop a comprehensive risk assessment framework and to explore the framework’s potential to adequately support the design-build contractor’s decisions. The framework uses qualitative assessment, relying on expert workshops and quantitative assessments, with a focus on simulation and probabilities. Tollgates are used to communicate risk assessments to the contractor. The framework is applied to a real-life case study of construction with a CLT-structure for a Swedish design-build contractor, where exposure to precipitation during construction is a key issue. In conclusion, the chosen framework was successful in a design-build contractor context, structuring the process and identifying difficulties in achieving the functional requirements concerning moisture. Three success factors were: documentation and communication, expert involvement, and the use of tollgates. Recommendations to the design-build contractor on construction of CLT structure are to keep construction period short and to use full weather protection on site

Implementing a framework for qualitative assessment of new technical solutions: A case study on CLT

New technical solutions are introduced at a fast pace in the Swedish construction industry, mainly driven by issues concerning costs and productivity. These new technical solutions can comprise new materials, new goods, new designs but also new processes. The record of accomplishment when introducing new technical solutions in the industry is not unproblematic and serial failures of different new technical solution have occurred. In an earlier interview study exploring introduction of new technical solutions in the Swedish construction industry, a common lack of thorough methods for evaluation of new solutions was identified. To address this issue, a case study was performed, exploring a method of evaluation with respect to building physics while implementing a cross laminated timber frame in a multifamily building. The case study uses a framework of assessment with focus on building physics. This paper presents the findings from the case study focusing on how evaluation of a new technical solution with respect to building physics is performed, together with an evaluation of the method, using the experiences of the participants in the case study