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3. Research design
We use a qualitative case study approach which investigates contemporary phenomena within
its real-life context where the relevant behavior cannot be manipulated (Yin 2003). In the cen-
ter of our analysis lies the personal realm of experience of each interviewee. Their subjective
interpretative model can be comprehended best in an open, explorative and flexible approach.
Thus, a communicative character of the data gathering needs to be accomplished which is best
represented in an explorative research setting with qualitative interviews. They result in a sin-
gle case study. The data is analyzed with a qualitative content analysis to explore qualified
hypotheses (Glaser & Strauss 1967). It enables the researcher to include textual information
and to systematically identify its properties, e.g. the frequencies of most used keywords.
The eight interviews were conducted in October 2010 and lasted between 80 and 100 minutes.
They are part of a larger study exploring the relationship between standardization and innova-
tion in software development organizations, whereas the emphasis lied on CMMI. The Capa-
bility Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a standard for software process improvement
(Humphreys 1992). The interviews involved strategic planners, managers responsible for im-
plementation of process management standards, team leaders and software engineers of one
working context (see also Table 1) They were semi-structured to allow flexibility and to en-
sure that we get the focus on interesting phenomena. Further, a narrative interview style was
chosen in order to stimulate reports about a variety of expressions and experiences in terms of
process standards by open, non-assessing questions. Moreover, the interviewers also collected
additional information about the company site by noting their observations about the context
of the interviews and by taking part in a guided tour through the production hall and develop-
ment office.
The subject of the interviewees’ narrations and requests by the interviewer were the history of
the organization and especially the process group; the history, implementation and usage of
process management standards, the procedure of certification audits and the individual and or-
ganizational experiences with process management standards. The interviewees were prefer-
Full paper GEY & FRIED EGOS conference 2012, Sub-theme 15 5