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Considerations for Indigenous Cultural Aspects in Software Development: A Case Study

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Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering (ENASE 2021)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1556))

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Abstract

Requirements engineering (RE) is a human-centric domain and requires broader consultations. Oftentimes, focus of the process is on the software development perspectives and fails to consider how users view the requirements engineering process. This research examines whether cultural influences are important in the software development requirement engineering process from the users’ perspective. A case study to elicit user requirements was conducted using design thinking and a human-centered approach, with data collected from university students from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and other Pacific Island nations. The findings reveal 11 cultural characteristics distinct to the indigenous cultures of participants have an impact on RE activities; six are related to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, while five are unclassified and unique to PNG. The study highlights the importance of culture in the RE process and why it is essential to consider users’ cultural expectations in software development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia

    Philemon Yalamu, Abdullah Al Mahmud & Caslon Chua

Authors
  1. Philemon Yalamu
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  2. Abdullah Al Mahmud
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  3. Caslon Chua
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Philemon Yalamu , Abdullah Al Mahmud or Caslon Chua .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hamad bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar

    Raian Ali

  2. TU Wien, Vienna, Austria

    Hermann Kaindl

  3. Wrocław University of Economics, Wrocław, Poland

    Leszek A. Maciaszek

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Yalamu, P., Al Mahmud, A., Chua, C. (2022). Considerations for Indigenous Cultural Aspects in Software Development: A Case Study. In: Ali, R., Kaindl, H., Maciaszek, L.A. (eds) Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering. ENASE 2021. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1556. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96648-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96648-5_2

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