Common ground in collaborative intelligence analysis: an empirical study

This paper reports an empirical exploration of how different configurations of collaboration technology affect peoples’ ability to construct and maintain common ground while conducting collaborative intelligence analysis work. Prior studies of collaboration technology have typically focused on simpler conversational tasks, or ones that involve physical manipulation, rather than the complex sensemaking and inference involved in intelligence work. The study explores the effects of video communication and shared visual workspace (SVW) on the negotiation of common ground by distributed teams collaborating in real time on intelligence analysis tasks. The experimental study uses a 2x2 factorial, between-subjects design involving two independent variables: presence or absence of Video and SVW. Two-member teams were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental media conditions and worked to complete several intelligence analysis tasks involving multiple, complex intelligence artefacts. Teams with access to the shared visual workspace could view their teammates’ eWhiteboards. Our results demonstrate a significant effect for the shared visual workspace: the effort of conversational grounding is reduced in the cases where SVW is available. However, there were no main effects for video and no interaction between the two variables. Also, we found that the “conversational grounding effort” required tended to decrease over the course of the tas

Raising Awareness In Distributed Agile Development - A Case Study Perspective

Raising and maintaining awareness in distributed agile cross-cultural teams is a challenging process, especially as the tenets of agile methods rely heavily on physical proximity, face-to-face communication, coordination and close collaboration. This paper reports on preliminary findings on how a distributed agile team within the financial sector, engages in raising awareness to carry out collaborative activities to accomplish project tasks. We have adapted the use of 3C Collaboration model as an evaluative mechanism to examine how the different dimensions (communication, coordination and cooperation) of the model stimulate awareness within a distributed agile team. The insights gained from the case study, suggest there is a constant interplay between the offshore and onshore teams to try and raise and maintain awareness in order to achieve project goals

Exploring the Emergence of Collaborative Practices in Globally Distributed Agile Software Development

Abstract In light of increasing use of agile methods within globally distributed settings, having an appreciation of how collaborative practices and shared understandings are developed has become even more critical. This paper draws on the concepts of boundary objects and Pickering’s mangle of practice as combined critical lenses to examine emergent collaborative practices in such contexts. We investigated one longitudinal case within a global financial bank using semi-structured interviews and observations. Our relational analysis demonstrates that collaborative practices within globally distributed contexts tend not to develop from pre-set expectations of how agile practices should work or from pre-set distributed agile processes, but are temporally emergent. Team members have to adapt agile methods through an on-going process of mutual “tuning” within their situated contexts in order to attain temporary stable periods of effective communication and coordination. The study concludes by proposing a conceptual framework, which could be applied in similar settings

Negotiating Common Ground in Distributed Agile Development: A Case Study Perspective

Distributed Agile Development is gaining prevalence in the global software engineering field. However establishing and negotiating common ground across geographical, temporal and cultural borders can be a challenging process for distributed team members. This paper reports on early findings of one case study and investigates how common ground or mutually shared understanding takes place within one globally distributed agile team. The paper presents an extended version of the 3C Collaboration model, drawing upon existing literature of raising awareness cues through the use of boundary objects. The research seeks a greater understanding of how common ground is negotiated across boundaries. The case study data was obtained from semi-structured interviews within a financial context. The findings suggest that team members use multifaceted techniques to enhance common ground for better collaborative practices to take place