Actionable Framework for Understanding and Improving Social and Human Factors that Influence the Requirements Management in Software Ecosystems

In software ecosystems (SECO), requirements management requires the collaboration of multiple actors (end-users and external developers). Thus, it is essential to consider social and human factors (SHF) when performing requirements management activities in SECO. This research aims to identify which SHF influence requirements management activities in SECO through a rapid review (RR) and semi-structured interviews with professionals who work in requirements management activities in SECO. Our findings elucidate the SHF that influences requirements management in SECO, as well as the contextual characteristics that impact these factors. We also identify strategies employed by professionals to improve SHF and the barriers that stand in their way. Finally, we describe coping mechanisms that professionals use when SHF factors cannot be sufficiently improved. Our findings lead to the construction of an actionable framework for understanding and improving SHF in requirements management activities at SECO. We evaluated the framework through a focus group comprising subject-matter experts, resulting in the final version of the framework, titled SHFiRM-SECO. A feasibility study was then conducted to assess the practical applicability of SHFiRM-SECO. The study involved professionals performing requirements management activities and confirmed the framework’s usefulness and ease of use to enhance efficiency in managing SHF within SECO. The framework serves as a go-to reference for requirements professionals and key organizations that aim to enhance productivity and effectiveness in requirements management within SECO. They will also support researchers in refining and instantiating our framework in the future.