Reflecting, adapting and learning in small software organizations: an action research approach

Software Engineering activities are context based and carried out by people, within its culture and project actuality. Consequently, it demands a great deal of social relations. In order to better understanding these challenges faced by software development projects, we have had to go beyond the actual mindset, literature and bodies of knowledge. This paper is a result of an empirical research, aligned with evidence-based Software Engineering, about studies conducted on five software development Micro and Small Enterprises in Brazil, during 22 months, between July-2012 and May-2014. We have adopted a participant observer ethnographic study, resulting in intervention based on action research. The interventions happened several times, leading into continuous and constructive process of reflecting and learning. As a result, we have observed the emergence of a practical problem solving culture, from a collaborative immediate situation, which expanding the actor’s competencies in every cycle of its execution. Although every organization had its own major problem to be dealt with, our findings point out to some common problems and emerging action strategies to handle with these challenges. Keywords— action research, qualitative research, project management, project actuality.