Project Management Tools as Boundary Objects in Agile Software Development

In agile software development (ASD) teams, it is essential to overcome knowledge boundaries to prevent product delays. The theory of boundary objects suggests that using the objects can help bridging knowledge boundaries within ASD teams in collaborations. Although prior research has reported that the use of boundary objects within traditional software development (TSD) teams is helpful, this topic in agile background still needs more exploration. Additionally, findings on the effects of boundary objects in bridging knowledge gaps are mixed. In this in-progress study, we conceptually explored the role of project management tools as boundary objects in ASD teams. Empirical study was conducted by using eight student teams, each consisting of four to five team members, which were asked to deliver a software using project management tools. Preliminary data analysis showed that PMTs indeed have positive influence in agile context

THE USE OF OPEN, AXIAL AND SELECTIVE CODING TECHNIQUES: A LITERATURE ANALYSIS OF IS RESEARCH

Qualitative data analysis plays a critical role in academic research. Open, axial, and selective (OAS) coding techniques are widely associated with qualitative data analysis in information systems (IS) research. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the usage of OAS coding techniques and is based on reviewing and analyzing 96 published IS studies that have operationalized the techniques. This research follows the structural steps taken in content analysis in order to select, review and analyze relevant literature. The research is intended to contribute to the IS research community by classifying the papers analyzed against the different activities for operationalizing OAS coding. Our analysis shows that the use of coding by IS scholars has increased in recent years. However, we also find that there has been some vagueness in describing how the OAS coding techniques are executed within our highest quality IS research outputs

The Use of Open, Axial and Selective Coding Techniques: A Literature Analysis of IS Research

Qualitative data analysis plays a critical role in academic research. Open, axial, and selective (OAS) coding techniques are widely associated with qualitative data analysis in information systems (IS) research. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the usage of OAS coding techniques and is based on reviewing and analyzing 96 published IS studies that have operationalized the techniques. This research follows the structural steps taken in content analysis in order to select, review and analyze relevant literature. The research is intended to contribute to the IS research community by classifying the papers analyzed against the different activities for operationalizing OAS coding. Our analysis shows that the use of coding by IS scholars has increased in recent years. However, we also find that there has been some vagueness in describing how the OAS coding techniques are executed within our highest quality IS research outputs

Miten virtuaalikokoukset ovat yhteydessä työhyvinvointiin ja tuottavuuteen? State-of-the-art-katsaus

Kokoustamisesta on tullut työelämämme uusi megatrendi, ja virtuaaliset kokoukset ovat yleistyneet, kuten myös niihin liittyvä tutkimus. Tässä kirjallisuuskatsauksessa jäsennetään virtuaalikokoustutkimuskenttää ja vedetään yhteen erityisesti koronapandemian aikana saatuja tutkimustuloksia virtuaalikokousten, työhyvinvoinnin ja tuottavuuden välisistä yhteyksistä. Katsauksen mukaan hallittu virtuaalikokousten käyttö on yhteydessä parempaan työhyvinvointiin. Tämä tarkoittaa esimerkiksi, että työntekijöiden on voitava vaikuttaa kokousten ajankohtaan. Myös kokousten kestoa, videokameran käyttöä ja mikrofonin käyttöä on rajoitettava. Virtuaalisuudesta johtuva kognitiivisen kuorman lisääntyminen aiheuttaa niin sanottua Zoom-väsymystä, mutta esimerkiksi osallistujien yhteenkuuluvuuden tunne vähentää väsymystä. Alustavasti virtuaalikokouksista on koettu olevan hyötyä henkilöstön pysyvyyden, työn tuottavuuden, innovatiivisuuden sekä ympäristörasituksen vähenemisen kannalta. Toisaalta virtuaalikokoukset vaikeuttavat työn koordinoimista, konfliktien käsittelyä, henkilöstön kehittämistä ja luottamuksen rakentamista. Organisaatioilta vaaditaankin kypsyyttä ja suunnitelmallisuutta virtuaalikokouksien mahdollisuuksien hyödyntämiseksi. Virtuaalikokouksien seurauksia koskeva tutkimus on vielä alkuvaiheessa, ja erityisesti voimavara- ja motivaatiopsykologiselle työhyvinvointitutkimukselle sekä tuottavuus tutkimukselle on tarvetta. Lisäksi vain harvat tutkimukset ovat käsitelleet kokouksia kiinteässä yhteydessä kulloiseenkin työkontekstiin tai pyrkineet määrittelemään virtuaalikokouksen luonnetta

The use of prototypes to bridge knowledge boundaries in agile software development

Bridging knowledge boundaries among project team members is essential to prevent delays or complete failure of software development projects. Prior researchers have reported that software prototypes can be used to help bridge knowledge boundaries between team members in traditional software development settings, yet their use in an agile development setting remains unexplored. Agile development centers the interactions between team members on emerging representations of the prototype whose properties are prone to change over time. Therefore, we conducted an in‐depth study of an agile development project to enhance our understanding on how software prototypes are used as boundary objects in a distributed team setting. Our analyses of team member interactions during 46 virtual meetings that took place over a period of 6 months revealed four different prototype use practices (exemplifying, contrasting, relating, framing) that were effective in bridging syntactic, semantic, or pragmatic knowledge boundaries. We also provide empirically grounded evidence of how variations in object properties can afford different use practices, how the use practices take advantage of these properties, and how object properties are reshaped through these use practices as different types of knowledge boundaries are bridged. These findings bear important implications for research on prototypes as boundary objects in software development in particular and boundary object use in general

Agile Software Development Practices in Remote Working Contexts: A Systematic Literature Review

Information Scienc