Do Contexts Make A Difference?
Abiodun Afolayan Ogunyemi, David Lamas, Jan Stage · 2016
In this paper, we provide a comparative analysis from two countries, of software practitioners' perspectives on HCI practice and integration to software engineering (SE) processes. We offer explanations based on the diffusion of innovation theory, shedding light on perspectives of practitioners to HCI practice and integration to SE processes in companies and what would-be promoters might likely confront. Our analysis shows that software organizations require more than process integration. The findings indicate that practitioners' contexts do not influence their perspectives, and their perceptions are much different from our assumptions as a community. There are huge assumptions that HCI results are accessible to software companies, and practitioners are now more receptive to HCI issues, especially looking at the success of usability engineering in many software companies. We propose that rather, a more radical approach is needed, in the form of working with companies, especially small and medium-sized as change agents to address practitioners' perspectives. The findings in this study would be beneficial to HCI researchers aiming to promote HCI practice such as human-centred design (HCD) in small and medium-sized software companies.