3,804 research outputs found

    Video Game Development in a Rush: A Survey of the Global Game Jam Participants

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    Video game development is a complex endeavor, often involving complex software, large organizations, and aggressive release deadlines. Several studies have reported that periods of "crunch time" are prevalent in the video game industry, but there are few studies on the effects of time pressure. We conducted a survey with participants of the Global Game Jam (GGJ), a 48-hour hackathon. Based on 198 responses, the results suggest that: (1) iterative brainstorming is the most popular method for conceptualizing initial requirements; (2) continuous integration, minimum viable product, scope management, version control, and stand-up meetings are frequently applied development practices; (3) regular communication, internal playtesting, and dynamic and proactive planning are the most common quality assurance activities; and (4) familiarity with agile development has a weak correlation with perception of success in GGJ. We conclude that GGJ teams rely on ad hoc approaches to development and face-to-face communication, and recommend some complementary practices with limited overhead. Furthermore, as our findings are similar to recommendations for software startups, we posit that game jams and the startup scene share contextual similarities. Finally, we discuss the drawbacks of systemic "crunch time" and argue that game jam organizers are in a good position to problematize the phenomenon.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Game

    Improving Software Development Efficiency – How Diversity and Collective Intelligence Shape Agile Team Efficiency

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    Information system development is largely dependent on social interaction and team work. Team composition, team processes, and behavior among, and agile practices used by team members play an important role for the success of information system development projects. Organizational psychology research found team diversity and collective intelligence to be important factors for team performance. In this research-in-progress paper, we propose a model and research design to investigate the effects of team diversity, collective intelligence, interpersonal relationships, and cognitive styles on team efficiency in agile software development. The proposed model combines recent research in the field of organizational psychology with agile information system research to provide a better understanding of the effects of team diversity, collective intelligence, and team efficiency

    Agility in Information Systems – A Literature Review on Terms and Definitions

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    Agility is a term used in many works in the context of information systems. When studying the concept closer, it became obvious that there is a terminological heterogeneity preventing a common definition whilst at the same time not preventing the frequent use of the term. In order to approach the term in a structured way, the following two paths were chosen. Firstly, the term was traced back to its roots which showed its first appearance in organisational theory. Secondly, the major IS conferences (ECIS and ICIS) and the requirements engineering conference as a major computer science conference were analysed from 2001 when the agile manifesto was published which led to a wave of works on agility. The descriptive results are presented in the paper

    Coordination & Control in Contemporary Organizations

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    Coordination & Control in Contemporary Organizations

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    Experiential Learning in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Projects for Metacognition: Integrating Theory with Practice

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    Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is an educational approach to improve workplace readiness. WIL achieves this by integrating theory with practice. The emphasis is on real experiences and practical problem-solving. Low-code platforms are a suitable teaching tool for the theory-practice integration. Yet, graduates also need metacognition to be workplace-ready. Through metacognition, students learn how to learn by deeply reflecting on their thinking. However, WIL focuses on domain learning, lesser on metacognitive thinking. This study draws on experiential learning theory to examine WIL aspects on their influence on metacognitive thinking. In a survey, we test experiential learning factors (authenticity, active learning, self-relevance, utility) and metacognition when students develop a software app. Results show that authenticity, active learning, and utility influence metacognition; however, self-relevance of the WIL does not. Consequently, IS educators should tailor the WIL to be authentic, useful, for active learning to support metacognition in low-code WIL teaching

    Shared Knowledge in Virtual Software Teams: A Preliminary Framework

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    Shared knowledge allows virtual teams to collaborate more effectively. Shared knowledge in teams, hereafter called team knowledge, must be established and maintained. This is a key enabler for agile development in a distributed context. Hence, organizations may benefit from efforts to ensure sufficient levels of team knowledge. Such efforts may include different measures, such as project kick-offs, frequent visits across locations, knowledge sharing tools and practices. However, team knowledge includes many types of knowledge, with different impacts on the team's work. This paper outlines a framework for conceptualizing the breadth of team knowledge relevant for virtual software teams. With the help of this framework, organizations can think more strategically about how to improve team knowledge -- for example the planning of kick-offs, what to focus on in face-to-face meetings and how the team members work together on a day-to-day basis. The framework may also be used to assist in planning team composition, for example based on individuals' knowledge and the overlap with other team members' knowledge. The framework uses four broad categories of team knowledge: task-related, team-related, process-related and goal-related. Beneath these four categories the framework details and describes more concrete knowledge types. We also provide examples from software practice for each knowledge type.acceptedVersio

    The Global Mindset of Accounting Educators - A National Study

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    There is a mandate for business educators to cultivate Global Mindset in their students. In the accounting discipline, employers explicitly state that they seek job candidates who demonstrate a Global Mindset. To many educators in the U.S., developing Global Mindset in their students is a bewildering challenge because their own Global Mindset may be weak in some aspects, and widely used accounting textbooks fall short in presenting ideological, socio-political, and cultural perspectives alternative to that of Anglo-American capitalism. This study surveyed accounting educators from U.S. institutions to evaluate their Global Mindset, identify common weaknesses in their Global Mindset, and provide a starting point in developing or improving Global Mindset in these educators, thereby instilling confidence in their ability to design engaging, enjoyable experiential learning activities to develop Global Mindset in their students

    TRUST IN CO-SOURCED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

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    Software development projects are increasingly geographical distributed with offshoring. Co-sourcing is a highly integrative and cohesive approach, seen successful, to software development offshoring. However, research of how dynamic aspects of trust are shaped in co-sourcing activities is limited. We present a case study of how the co-sourcing relationship between a certified CMMI-level 5 Danish software company and an offshoring supplier can be conceptualized as an Abstract System. An Abstract System is a dis-embedded social system (such as banking) that is trusted despite lack of detailed understanding or personal trust relations. The paper suggest how certain work practices among developers and managers can be explained using a dynamic trust lens based on Abstract Systems, especially dis- and re-embedding mechanisms
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