Ontology-based Studies of Process Modelling
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The Ontological Deficiencies of Process Modeling in Practice. EJIS 2010
0739 days
by jan
in Uncategorized
Recker, J., Indulska, M., Rosemann, M., Green, P., The Ontological Deficiencies of Process Modeling in Practice. European Journal of Information Systems, 2010, Vol 19, No 5, pp. 501-525.
Abstract:
Business process modeling is widely regarded as one of the most popular forms of conceptual modeling. However, little is known about the capabilities and deficiencies of process modeling grammars and how existing deficiencies impact actual process modeling practice. This paper is a first contribution towards a theory-driven, exploratory empirical investigation of the ontological deficiencies of process modeling with the industry standard BPMN. We perform an analysis of BPMN using a theory of ontological expressiveness. Through a series of semi-structured interviews with BPMN adopters we explore empirically the actual use of this grammar. Nine ontological deficiencies related to the practice of modeling with BPMN are identified, for example, the capture of business rules and the specification of process decompositions. We also uncover five contextual factors that impact on the use of process modeling grammars, such as tool support and modeling conventions. We discuss implications for research and practice, highlighting the need for consideration of representational issues and contextual factors in decisions relating to BPMN adoption in organizations.
Do Ontological Deficiencies in Modeling Grammars Matter? MIS Quarterly 2011
0770 days
by jan
in Uncategorized
Recker, J., Rosemann, M., Green, P., Indulska, M. Do Ontological Deficiencies in Modeling Grammars Matter? MIS Quarterly 2011, In Press.
Abstract:
Conceptual modeling grammars are a fundamental means for specifying information systems requirements. However, the actual usage of these grammars is only poorly understood and still requires deeper empirical analysis. In particular, little is known about how properties of these grammars inform usage beliefs such as usefulness and ease of use. In this paper we use an ontological theory to describe conceptual modeling grammars in terms of their ontological deficiencies, and formulate two propositions in regard to how these ontological deficiencies influence primary usage beliefs. Using BPMN as an example modeling grammar, we describe a survey-based study with 528 modeling practitioners to test the theorized relationships. Our results show that users of conceptual modeling grammars perceive ontological deficiencies to exist, and that these deficiency perceptions are negatively associated with usefulness and ease of use of these grammars. With our research we provide empirical evidence in support of the predictions of the ontological theory of modeling grammar expressiveness, and we are able to identify previously unexplored links between conceptual modeling grammars and grammar usage beliefs. This work implies for practice a much closer coupling of the act of (re ) designing modeling grammars with usage-related success metrics.
