Pair Modeling: Does One Plus One Add Up?

Abstract

Pair programming is a technique where two programmers work together. This technique offers benefits such as improved quality of the code, faster task completion, and increased participant satisfaction. Existing research in Business Process Management has not studied the advantages of pair process modeling in comparison to individual modeling. In this paper, we focus on the effect of conducting modeling tasks in pairs on process model quality and participants’ satisfaction. In an experiment, we let novice modelers perform modeling tasks individually and in pairs. Contrary to pair programming findings, we could not statistically support that pair modeling improves the process model’s quality. Similar to pair programming, the experiment did reveal that the participants are highly satisfied when performing modeling tasks in pairs. Considering this result, instructors or managers may want to use the pair setup for training purposes.