An experimental simulation of multi-site software development

Effective communication and coordination across multiple sites is extremely important for global software development. An experimental simulation that mimics an interdependent software division working across multiple locations was designed to study this phenomenon. Six experiments were run, each with participants divided into four or five sites depending on the availability of participants. We found that simulated workers at the same sites formed strong in-groups and were able to enlist help from their collocated colleagues at a much higher rate than from remote colleagues. These strong local in-groups inhibited cross-site collaboration. Remote workers had particular difficulty coordinating work with in-group members. However, certain isolated participants did perform well by being proactive in communication and reminding collaborators of reciprocal relationships. Future uses of this simulation will test different interventions such as instant messaging, calendaring, and traveling, w...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: CASCON
• Authors: N. Sadat Shami, Nathan Bos, Zach Wright, Susannah Hoch, Kam Yung Kuan, Judith S. Olson, Gary M. Olson
• Keywords: CASCON 2004, CASCON 2007, Certain Isolated Participants, Global Software Development, Strong Local In-groups