IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/binfse/v57y2015i2p91-102.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Software Quality and Development Speed in Global Software Development Teams

Author

Listed:
  • Iván Alfaro
  • Ranganathan Chandrasekaran

Abstract

The paper draws on information processing theory to propose that national diversity creates barriers to the integration of information among members of global software development teams, negatively impacting software quality and development speed. However, the effect of such relationships was expected to be contingent upon the amount of time that team members had worked together in the past (i.e., previous working ties). Hypotheses were tested in a field study involving 62 global software development teams distributed across Europe and Central and South America. Teams with high levels of previous working ties developed greater quality software at a faster pace. National diversity had a positive effect on software quality in teams with high levels of previous working ties, but a negative effect in teams with low levels of previous working ties. National diversity also had a negative impact on software development speed, but the effect was less pronounced among teams with high levels of previous working ties than on teams low in previous working ties. Copyright Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Iván Alfaro & Ranganathan Chandrasekaran, 2015. "Software Quality and Development Speed in Global Software Development Teams," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 57(2), pages 91-102, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:binfse:v:57:y:2015:i:2:p:91-102
    DOI: 10.1007/s12599-015-0372-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s12599-015-0372-6
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12599-015-0372-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. J. Alberto Espinosa & Sandra A. Slaughter & Robert E. Kraut & James D. Herbsleb, 2007. "Familiarity, Complexity, and Team Performance in Geographically Distributed Software Development," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(4), pages 613-630, August.
    2. van Ginkel, Wendy P. & van Knippenberg, Daan, 2009. "Knowledge about the distribution of information and group decision making: When and why does it work?," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(2), pages 218-229, March.
    3. Rajiv D. Banker & Gordon B. Davis & Sandra A. Slaughter, 1998. "Software Development Practices, Software Complexity, and Software Maintenance Performance: A Field Study," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(4), pages 433-450, April.
    4. Kandel, Eugene & Lazear, Edward P, 1992. "Peer Pressure and Partnerships," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(4), pages 801-817, August.
    5. Günter K Stahl & Martha L Maznevski & Andreas Voigt & Karsten Jonsen, 2010. "Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(4), pages 690-709, May.
    6. Anandasivam Gopal & Sanjay Gosain, 2010. "Research Note ---The Role of Organizational Controls and Boundary Spanning in Software Development Outsourcing: Implications for Project Performance," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 960-982, December.
    7. Martha L. Maznevski & Katherine M. Chudoba, 2000. "Bridging Space Over Time: Global Virtual Team Dynamics and Effectiveness," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(5), pages 473-492, October.
    8. Ayoko, Oluremi B. & Konrad, Alison M. & Boyle, Maree V., 2012. "Online work: Managing conflict and emotions for performance in virtual teams," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 156-174.
    9. Catherine Durnell Cramton, 2001. "The Mutual Knowledge Problem and Its Consequences for Dispersed Collaboration," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(3), pages 346-371, June.
    10. Mark Mortensen & Tsedal B. Neeley, 2012. "Reflected Knowledge and Trust in Global Collaboration," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(12), pages 2207-2224, December.
    11. Ray Reagans & Linda Argote & Daria Brooks, 2005. "Individual Experience and Experience Working Together: Predicting Learning Rates from Knowing Who Knows What and Knowing How to Work Together," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(6), pages 869-881, June.
    12. Wai Fong Boh & Yuqing Ren & Sara Kiesler & Robert Bussjaeger, 2007. "Expertise and Collaboration in the Geographically Dispersed Organization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(4), pages 595-612, August.
    13. David P. Brandon & Andrea B. Hollingshead, 2004. "Transactive Memory Systems in Organizations: Matching Tasks, Expertise, and People," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(6), pages 633-644, December.
    14. Geert Hofstede, 1983. "The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 14(2), pages 75-89, June.
    15. Pamela J. Hinds & Mark Mortensen, 2005. "Understanding Conflict in Geographically Distributed Teams: The Moderating Effects of Shared Identity, Shared Context, and Spontaneous Communication," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(3), pages 290-307, June.
    16. M. S. Krishnan & C. H. Kriebel & Sunder Kekre & Tridas Mukhopadhyay, 2000. "An Empirical Analysis of Productivity and Quality in Software Products," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(6), pages 745-759, June.
    17. Kyle Lewis & Benjamin Herndon, 2011. "Transactive Memory Systems: Current Issues and Future Research Directions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1254-1265, October.
    18. Jonathon N. Cummings & J. Alberto Espinosa & Cynthia K. Pickering, 2009. "Crossing Spatial and Temporal Boundaries in Globally Distributed Projects: A Relational Model of Coordination Delay," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 420-439, September.
    19. Pamela J. Hinds & Diane E. Bailey, 2003. "Out of Sight, Out of Sync: Understanding Conflict in Distributed Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(6), pages 615-632, December.
    20. Robert S. Huckman & Bradley R. Staats & David M. Upton, 2009. "Team Familiarity, Role Experience, and Performance: Evidence from Indian Software Services," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(1), pages 85-100, January.
    21. Peterson, Randall S. & Behfar, Kristin Jackson, 2003. "The dynamic relationship between performance feedback, trust, and conflict in groups: A longitudinal study," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 92(1-2), pages 102-112.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daniel Tzabbar & Alex Vestal, 2015. "Bridging the Social Chasm in Geographically Distributed R&D Teams: The Moderating Effects of Relational Strength and Status Asymmetry on the Novelty of Team Innovation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(3), pages 811-829, June.
    2. Michael Boyer O'Leary & Mark Mortensen, 2010. "Go (Con)figure: Subgroups, Imbalance, and Isolates in Geographically Dispersed Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 115-131, February.
    3. Glikson, Ella & Erez, Miriam, 2020. "The emergence of a communication climate in global virtual teams," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(6).
    4. J. Alberto Espinosa & Sandra A. Slaughter & Robert E. Kraut & James D. Herbsleb, 2007. "Familiarity, Complexity, and Team Performance in Geographically Distributed Software Development," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(4), pages 613-630, August.
    5. Mark Mortensen & Martine R. Haas, 2018. "Perspective—Rethinking Teams: From Bounded Membership to Dynamic Participation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(2), pages 341-355, April.
    6. Rocio Bonet & Fabrizio Salvador, 2017. "When the Boss Is Away: Manager–Worker Separation and Worker Performance in a Multisite Software Maintenance Organization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 244-261, April.
    7. Nishtha Langer & Sandra A. Slaughter & Tridas Mukhopadhyay, 2014. "Project Managers' Practical Intelligence and Project Performance in Software Offshore Outsourcing: A Field Study," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 25(2), pages 364-384, June.
    8. Sidhu, Jatinder S. & Volberda, Henk W., 2011. "Coordination of globally distributed teams: A co-evolution perspective on offshoring," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 278-290, June.
    9. Jeanne Wilson & C. Brad Crisp & Mark Mortensen, 2013. "Extending Construal-Level Theory to Distributed Groups: Understanding the Effects of Virtuality," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(2), pages 629-644, April.
    10. Emmanouil Avgerinos & Bilal Gokpinar, 2017. "Team Familiarity and Productivity in Cardiac Surgery Operations: The Effect of Dispersion, Bottlenecks, and Task Complexity," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 19-35, February.
    11. Melissa A. Valentine & Tom Fangyun Tan & Bradley R. Staats & Amy C. Edmondson, 2019. "Fluid Teams and Knowledge Retrieval: Scaling Service Operations," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 346-360, May.
    12. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-201 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Eunkwang Seo & Hyo Kang & Jaeyong Song, 0. "Blending talents for innovation: Team composition for cross-border R&D collaboration within multinational corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-35.
    14. Matt Beane & Wanda J. Orlikowski, 2015. "What Difference Does a Robot Make? The Material Enactment of Distributed Coordination," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(6), pages 1553-1573, December.
    15. Eunkwang Seo & Hyo Kang & Jaeyong Song, 2020. "Blending talents for innovation: Team composition for cross-border R&D collaboration within multinational corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(5), pages 851-885, July.
    16. Vahtera, Pekka & Buckley, Peter & Aliyev, Murod, 2017. "Affective conflict and identification of knowledge sources in MNE teams," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 881-895.
    17. Mark Mortensen, 2014. "Constructing the Team: The Antecedents and Effects of Membership Model Divergence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(3), pages 909-931, June.
    18. Parker, Owen N. & Mui, Rachel & Bhawe, Nachiket & Semadeni, Matthew, 2022. "Insight or ignorance: How collaborative history in a workgroup fits with project type to shape performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 154-167.
    19. Linda Argote & Sunkee Lee & Jisoo Park, 2021. "Organizational Learning Processes and Outcomes: Major Findings and Future Research Directions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5399-5429, September.
    20. Jaime B. Windeler & Likoebe Maruping & Viswanath Venkatesh, 2017. "Technical Systems Development Risk Factors: The Role of Empowering Leadership in Lowering Developers’ Stress," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(4), pages 775-796, December.
    21. Cristina B. Gibson & Jennifer L. Gibbs & Taryn L. Stanko & Paul Tesluk & Susan G. Cohen, 2011. "Including the “I” in Virtuality and Modern Job Design: Extending the Job Characteristics Model to Include the Moderating Effect of Individual Experiences of Electronic Dependence and Copresence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(6), pages 1481-1499, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:binfse:v:57:y:2015:i:2:p:91-102. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.