3.4. Summary

As explained above, the research method based on the process approach was found to be relevant and applicable for this study context where the software companies operate developing the applications capitalizing the processual software development methods as depicted in Section 2.2.2. Several process definitions were introduced and characteristics of processes were discussed, where the generic model is the input – transformation process – output model. From the discussed four different process views the functional perspective – that depicts what process elements are performed and what are the relevant information flows – is used in this research setting. Though the perspective cannot be too narrow as often the differing views intermingle in practice. During the analysis phase the process elements are further divided into activities that form the smallest observed unit. To give more angles of contemplation of process operations and process theory the four different main approaches concerning the process theories were covered, i.e. life cycle, evolutionary, dialectical and teleological. These theories were then discussed and related to the focal software business context and development practices.

The above writing in this chapter describes and analyses several business relationship phase and stage models. For the purposes of this study, two interesting models were described in more detail. The subsequently utilized Möller and Wilson “Dyadic Interaction Model” was introduced and its characteristics discussed. They introduce the taxonomy that is going to be utilized in the framework construction in order to describe and analyse the factors and elements belonging and contributing to the software company’s contracting process. Even though the Möller and Wilson model is primarily designated to be used to analyse the aggregate (dyadic) business relationship it provides a well-developed toolbox also to analyse the company’s processes from one side of the business relationship, i.e. in this study the supplier’s side.

The Ford model of “The development of buyer-seller relationships in business markets” was described with the pre-relationship, exploratory, development and stable stages to correspond with the pre-understanding of the software business well. Also the cyclical and dynamic nature of the model was emphasized and argued to be applicable to the dynamic part of the research used in this study. The Ford model as well as the Möller and Wilson model have their origins in IMP Group research.