Exploring the Use of Techniques from Grounded Theory in Process Engineering

The paper describes a study that investigated two models that were generated from the same process data by two different researchers. One of the models was generated by a psychologist inexperienced in process modelling. This model was developed based on the psychologist’s data analysis using grounded theory procedures. The second model was generated by an experienced process engineer using an ad hoc approach relying heavily on experience and skill. The results show that (1) grounded theory methods can be applied to analyse process data, (2) a person with little experience in process modelling can produce a process model based on the data analysis using grounded theory, and (3) the process model produced will not necessarily be equivalent to that produced by an experienced process engineer. The paper describes grounded theory methods and explores the nature of the differences in the two models produced. It then suggests ways in which grounded theory methods may contribute to the process modelling task. It also serves as exploratory research on the application of grounded theory methods in software engineering research domain.