Can 'Soft' Organisational Problems be solved by 'Hard' Process Reference Models?

Abstract

Process Reference Models (PRM) and their associated Assessment Models (PAM) are best known for their application to well-defined input-process-output work-flows in the Systems and Software Engineering domains. Model-based process improvement (MBPI) is now well-established as a discipline within that domain. Arguably though, MBPI can be applied successfully to multiple domains. The question has been to find a way. This paper discusses a mature Process Reference Model and Assessment Model for the leadership of complex virtual teams, developed in accordance with the recognized standards (ISO/IEC 15504 [8] and ISO/IEC 24774 [9]), yet which is applied to difficult 'soft' organisational problems. Earlier work on this topic focused on how to develop a PRM in soft, organisational contexts [1]. This paper focuses on the derived Process Assessment Model which has had a three-level Capability Dimension added to the existing Performance Dimension, and with associated work-products identified. It reports on preliminary trials at Griffith University.