Dynamics of collaborative work in global software development environment.

This study aims to explore the dynamics of collaborative work in global software development projects. The study explored the nature of collaboration, the patterns of collaborative behaviors in different tasks in computer science, and the impact of the tasks to the collaboration among students. Four different collaborative software development tasks were assigned to the globally distributes teams. The study used data from 230 students from five universities, namely Atilim University (Turkey), Middle East Technical University (Turkey), Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (Panama), University of North Texas (US), and Middlesex University (UK). The findings involve the recommendations for building effective collaborative working environments and guidelines for building collaborative virtual communities

Dynamics of collaborative work in global software development environment.

This study aims to explore the dynamics of collaborative work in global software development projects. The study explored the nature of collaboration, the patterns of collaborative behaviors in different tasks in computer science, and the impact of the tasks to the collaboration among students. Four different collaborative software development tasks were assigned to the globally distributes teams. The study used data from 230 students from five universities, namely Atilim University (Turkey), Middle East Technical University (Turkey), Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (Panama), University of North Texas (US), and Middlesex University (UK). The findings involve the recommendations for building effective collaborative working environments and guidelines for building collaborative virtual communities

Team Learning: A Theoretical Integration and Review

With the increasing emphasis on work teams as the primary architecture of organizational structure, scholars have begun to focus attention on team learning, the processes that support it, and the important outcomes that depend on it. Although the literature addressing learning in teams is broad, it is also messy and fraught with conceptual confusion. This chapter presents a theoretical integration and review. The goal is to organize theory and research on team learning, identify actionable frameworks and findings, and emphasize promising targets for future research. We emphasize three theoretical foci in our examination of team learning, treating it as multilevel (individual and team, not individual or team), dynamic (iterative and progressive; a process not an outcome), and emergent (outcomes of team learning can manifest in different ways over time). The integrative theoretical heuristic distinguishes team learning process theories, supporting emergent states, team knowledge representations, and respective influences on team performance and effectiveness. Promising directions for theory development and research are discussed

Leader delegation and trust in global software teams

Virtual teams are an important work structure in global software development. The distributed team structure enables access to a diverse set of expertise which is often not available in one location, to a cheaper labor force, and to a potentially accelerated development process that uses a twenty-four hour work structure. Many software teams are partially distributed, that is, part of the team is colocated. Such partially distributed global software teams are an important work structure in software development projects. However, little is known about what affects or improves team members’ motivation and job satisfaction in the partially distributed environment. This study investigates the effects of leader delegation to sub-teams and trust between sub-teams on global software team members’ motivation and job satisfaction. It proposes a research framework based on specific hypotheses regarding these effects. A survey instrument was created and a pilot study conducted on student project teams in two U.S. universities. In addition, a study combining interviews and a survey distribution using industry software development teams was also conducted. The studies found that team competence predicts leader delegation to a sub-team in global software projects. Leader delegation related to teamwork process improves team members’ motivation and satisfaction with the leader. However, leader delegation may also generate negative consequences for the sub-teams, such as anxiety and pressure. Cultural distance and geographical distance impair trust development between members across sub-teams. Temporal distance causes conflicts related to excessive overtime and meeting scheduling. Trust in sub-teams is critical to improving motivation in a global software project. In addition, this study explores the impacts of language differences and software engineering profession culture on global software team members’ interactions. Suggestions are proposed for how to shape delegation strategies in partially distributed global software projects and how to improve team members’ trust in each other and their motivation. This work provides important findings for organizations interested in developing leadership skills for global software teams and retaining IT professionals at distributed sites

Communication Structures in Partially Distributed Teams: The Importance of Inclusiveness

A partially distributed team (PDT) consists of two or more subteams that are separated geographically. In a PDT, members of a given subteam are co-located, but they collaborate with members of geographically distant subteams. PDTs are commonplace across diverse IT settings, including outsourcing, off-shoring, and distributed organizations. Often the distance separating subteams spans multiple time zones that encompass diverse cultures and countries, as in the case of global software development teams. Findings are presented from a large-scale international PDT project involving IT students from 13 universities. Quantitative analysis of three emergent communication structures adopted by PDTs show significant differences in terms of both procedural (i.e., awareness and coordination) and socio-emotional (i.e., shared identity and trust) team interaction variables as well as perceptions of team performance. Furthermore, a qualitative analysis shows that inclusive leadership behaviors and the use of inclusive media and software positively impact team interaction processes and performance

The impact of cultural differences in temporal perception on global software development teams

This dissertation investigated the impact of cultural differences in temporal perception on globally dispersed software development teams. Literature and anecdotal evidence suggest that these temporal differences affect individual communication quality, which in turn will affect individual satisfaction and trust within global teams. Additionally, the temporal dispersion of the team was expected to affect an individual\u27s sense of temporal disruption which, in turn, was expected to affect individual satisfaction and trust. Differences in temporal perception were expected to moderate this impact on perceived temporal disruption. A Fortune 100 Company that carried out software testing in Ireland, the United States, China and India provided the respondent population which resulted in all testing teams having global membership. The research used two methods for data collection: survey and interviews. The survey instrument\u27s constructs were developed via pilot tests conducted on student software development teams and through a card sorting task. Four temporal perception constructs were used: Future Orientation, Lateness Attitude, Temporal Rigidity and Temporal Urgency. Team members answered the temporal perception questions twice; once for how they felt their remote team members would answer the questions and once for how they felt their local team members would answer the questions. A gap analysis was performed on this data yielding temporal perception difference scores. A Gap Magnitude that looked at the size of the gaps was also calculated to provide measures of the size of the cultural differences. Semi-structured interviews were carried out on fifteen percent of the respondent population to explore the temporal perception differences in more detail. Survey results only partially supported the hypotheses that cultural differences in temporal perceptions affect Individual Communication Quality. Specifically, it was found that group differences in the temporal perceptions of Sense of Urgency and Lateness Attitude significantly impacted Individual Communication Quality. Sense of Urgency also impacted Individual Trust. Follow-up interviews suggested that differences were recognized, but other factors such as an orientation to a future benefit by working hard now, the prestige of working with people in the Company\u27s home country and possibly a sense of being a professional, may have outweighed the examined temporal differences. It also was found that Temporal Distance affected an individual\u27s Temporal Disruption, that Individual Communication Quality affected Individual Trust, and Individual Satisfaction. Gap Magnitude helped identify areas of potential problems that corresponded to areas identified by management, and mentioned by the employees in their interviews. Overall, the research suggests that certain Temporal Perceptions affect Individual Communication Quality, which in turn affects Trust and Individual Satisfaction. Communication, itself, seemed to be a large cause of problems, in part, because of the language differences, in part, because of the need to convey complex problems requiring detailed solutions, and, in part, because of the extreme temporal disruptions that time zone differences caused in a global team members working life

Advancing Research on Virtual Collaboration

Aunque los entornos virtuales no eran nuevos para algunas organizaciones, cuando llegó la pandemia de COVID-19, casi todas las industrias del mundo comenzaron a emplearlos. Dado que muchas organizaciones y empleados trabajarán de forma remota de forma permanente (o al menos en cierta medida) en el futuro, uno de los desafíos más importantes que enfrentarán las organizaciones es facilitar el desempeño individual y del equipo en entornos virtuales. Los entornos virtuales pueden permitir a las organizaciones maximizar su capital humano y mejorar su conocimiento, recursos, colaboración y creatividad para satisfacer las demandas de sus partes interesadas. Sin embargo, cuando los miembros del equipo utilizan las comunicaciones mediadas por tecnología, se enfrentan a desafíos adicionales que afectan la colaboración y el rendimiento. Por lo tanto, es fundamental comprender los aspectos que contribuyen a la colaboración individual y en equipo en entornos virtuales. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es, por lo tanto, avanzar en la investigación sobre la colaboración virtual. Más específicamente, esta tesis aborda la siguiente pregunta de investigación: ¿Qué factores promueven una colaboración efectiva en un contexto virtual? Para abordar esta pregunta, esta tesis se divide en seis capítulos, de los cuales la parte principal es un compendio de tres ensayos (Capítulos 2, 3 y 4). El primer capítulo de la tesis es la introducción general. El segundo capítulo se centra en factores a nivel individual que permiten la efectividad de la colaboración virtual (género y juicio situacional). El tercer capítulo se centra en factores a nivel de equipo que promueven la eficacia de la colaboración virtual (comportamientos de comunicación virtual del equipo e intercambio de información del equipo). El cuarto capítulo se centra en los factores de nivel diádico que promueven la colaboración virtual efectiva (expectativas interpersonales y perdón por tiempos de respuesta prolongados). Finalmente, el quinto capítulo presenta las conclusiones generales, limitaciones y futuras líneas de investigación. Esta tesis contribuye a la literatura sobre colaboración en entornos virtuales al examinar fenómenos contemporáneos en diferentes niveles de análisis (p. ej., género, equipos de estudiantes cara a cara tradicionales y efectos de falta de respuesta) desde varias perspectivas teóricas y metodológicas. En general, esta tesis proporciona información útil para las personas y los equipos que trabajan en entornos virtuales.Encara que els entorns virtuals no eren nous per a algunes organitzacions, quan va arribar la pandèmia de COVID-19, gairebé totes les indústries del món van començar a fer-los servir. Atès que moltes organitzacions i empleats treballaran de manera remota de manera permanent (o almenys en certa mesura) en el futur, un dels desafiaments més importants que enfrontaran les organitzacions és facilitar l'exercici individual i de l'equip en entorns virtuals. Els entorns virtuals poden permetre a les organitzacions maximitzar el seu capital humà i millorar-ne el coneixement, els recursos, la col·laboració i la creativitat per satisfer les demandes de les seves parts interessades. Tot i això, quan els membres de l'equip utilitzen les comunicacions à través de mitjans tecnològics, s'enfronten a desafiaments addicionals que afecten la col·laboració i el rendiment. Per tant, és fonamental comprendre els aspectes que contribueixen a la col·laboració individual i en equip en entorns virtuals. L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi és, doncs, avançar en la investigació sobre la col·laboració virtual. Més específicament, aquesta tesi aborda la pregunta de recerca següent: Quins factors promouen una col·laboració efectiva en un context virtual? Per abordar aquesta pregunta, aquesta tesi es divideix en sis capítols, dels quals la part principal és un compendi de tres assaigs (Capítols 2, 3 i 4). El primer capítol de la tesi és la introducció general. El segon capítol se centra en factors individuals que permeten l'efectivitat de la col·laboració virtual (gènere i judici situacional). El tercer capítol se centra en factors d'equip que promouen l'eficàcia de la col·laboració virtual (comportaments de comunicació virtual de l'equip i intercanvi d'informació de l'equip). El quart capítol se centra en els factors de nivell diàdic que promouen la col·laboració virtual efectiva (expectatives interpersonals i perdó per temps de resposta perllongats). Finalment, el cinquè capítol presenta les conclusions generals, les limitacions i les futures línies de recerca. Aquesta tesi contribueix a la literatura sobre col·laboració en entorns virtuals en examinar fenòmens contemporanis a diferents nivells d'anàlisi (p. ex., gènere, equips d'estudiants cara a cara tradicionals i efectes de manca de resposta) des de diverses perspectives teòriques i metodològiques. En general, aquesta tesi proporciona informació útil per a persones i equips que treballen en entorns virtuals.Although virtual environments were not new to some organizations, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, almost every industry on the globe began employing them. Given that many organizations and employees will work remotely permanently (or at least to some extent) in the future, one of the most significant challenges organizations will face is facilitating individual and team performance in virtual environments. Virtual environments may enable organizations to maximize their human capital and enhance their knowledge, resources, collaboration, and creativity to meet their stakeholder’s demands. Nevertheless, when team members rely on technology-mediated communications, they encounter additional challenges that impact collaboration and performance. Thus, it is critical to understand the aspects that contribute to individual and team collaboration in virtual environments. The main purpose of this thesis is thus to advance research on virtual collaboration. More specifically, this thesis addresses the following overarching research question: What factors promote effective collaboration in a virtual context? To address this question, this thesis is divided into six chapters, of which the main part is a compendium of three essays (Chapters 2, 3, and 4). The first chapter of the thesis is the general introduction. The second chapter focuses on individual-level factors that enable the effectiveness of virtual collaboration (gender and situational judgment). The third chapter focuses on team-level factors that promote virtual collaboration effectiveness (team virtual communication behaviors and team information sharing). The fourth chapter focuses on dyadic-level factors that promote effective virtual collaboration (interpersonal expectations and forgiveness for lengthy response times). Finally, the fifth chapter presents the general conclusions, limitations, and future research directions. This thesis contributes to the literature on collaboration in virtual environments by examining understudied contemporary phenomena at different levels of analysis (e.g., gender, traditional face-to-face student teams, and unresponsiveness effects) from various theoretical and methodological perspectives. Overall, this thesis provides insights helpful to individuals and teams working in virtual environments

Dynamic Effects of Communication in Software Development Teams: A Comparison of Three Models

Communication is essential to the performance of software development teams. But assuming the effect of communication on team performance to be linearly positive has been questioned in the literature. Based on team development theory and team cognition theory, this study contends that the effect of communication is dynamic and contingent on team progress. To assess the dynamic effects of communication, a longitudinal study was conducted of 73 student software development teams. Three models of communication were tested: linear model, time model, and team cognition model. The results revealed that different communication methods (emails, calls, and meetings) presented systematically changing effects on team performance as team progressed. The frequencies of emails and meetings presented increasing effects, while the frequency of telephone calls presented a decreasing effect, on team performance with time passage and the development of team cognition. An optimal model emerged from the testing results. Implications for systems development researchers and practitioners are also discussed