Role of collective ownership and coding standards in coordinating expertise in software project teams

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Likoebe M Maruping ◽  
Xiaojun Zhang ◽  
Viswanath Venkatesh
Keyword(s):  
Project Teams ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Collective Ownership ◽  
Coding Standards

scholarly journals Knowledge Transfer in a Project-Based Organization Through Microlearning on Cost-Efficiency

2021 ◽  
pp. 002188632110330
Author(s):  
Teresa Beste
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Organizational Practice ◽  
Public Sector Organization ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

This paper investigates the role of microlearning on cost-efficiency on knowledge transfer in a project-based organization. As part of an action research study in a Norwegian public sector organization working with construction projects, a microlearning series was initiated to increase knowledge transfer on cost-efficiency. Seven microlearning lessons were distributed to 334 employees, including short questionnaires after the first and last lesson. The study reflects on the design process of the lessons, on the participation rate, and on how it contributes to an increase of knowledge. Microlearning was perceived as relevant by the participants. It makes knowledge transfer less arbitrary by providing a common body of knowledge to all project teams. For the organizational practice, this implies that microlearning also has potential for knowledge sharing on other topics in the project-based organization. Updating the microlearning series with further examples and new lessons is expected to contribute to continuous learning on cost-efficiency.

Overcoming cross-organizational barriers to success in offshore projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Likoebe Maruping ◽  
Arun Rai ◽  
Ruba Aljafari ◽  
Viswanath Venkatesh
Keyword(s):  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Transition Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Project Outcomes ◽  
Mediating Mechanisms ◽  
Organizational Work

PurposeAdvances in information technology coupled with the need to build resilience against disruptions by pandemics like COVID-19 continue to emphasize offshoring services in the software industry. Service-level agreements (SLAs) have served as a key mechanism for safeguarding against risk in offshore service arrangements. Yet, variations in service cost and quality persist. This study aims to open up the blackbox linking SLAs to offshore project outcomes by examining (1) how the provisions in these contracts affect the ability of project teams – the work unit primarily in charge of producing the offshored service – to achieve their objectives and fulfill client requirements and (2) how differences in contextual factors shape the effects of these provisions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors incorporate the role of organizational work practice differences to understand the challenges that 270 offshore project teams faced in coordinating and integrating technical and business domain knowledge across organizational boundaries in offshore arrangements. The examined offshore IT projects were managed by a leading software vendor in India and several of its US-based clients over a three-year period.FindingsThe authors demonstrate that organizational work practice differences represent a barrier to offshore project success, and that project team transition processes are an important mechanism for overcoming these barriers. Moreover, the authors find that transition processes represent key mediating mechanisms through which SLA provisions affect offshore project outcomes.Originality/valueThe study findings shed light on how SLAs shape software project teams' balance between activities aimed at meeting client needs and those aimed at containing costs.

Social Issues in IT Project Teams

2018 ◽  
pp. 777-787
Author(s):  
Awie C. Leonard ◽  
D. H. Van Zyl
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Software Project ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Project Environment ◽  
Team Environment ◽  
It Project ◽  
It Department

The role and impact of social issues in IT project teams should not be under estimated. With the involvement of virtual project teams, this is even more relevant. One such social issue is the establishment of relationships between members of teams. The establishment and maintenance of social relationships and networks in the IT project environment is a phenomenon all IT professionals are exposed to and in many cases involved in. The question is what impact such social relationships and networks might have on the success or failure of any given IT project? The objective of this chapter is therefore to emphasize the important role social relationships and networks play in the IT project team environment. Furthermore, to illustrate to the management of software project teams how such relationships can have a positive or negative impact on team members. In this regard a climate or culture should be allowed for these relationships to flourish to the benefit of the IT department.

The Effect of Task and Tool Experience on Maintenance CASE Tool Usage

2004 ◽  
pp. 353-371
Author(s):  
Mark T. Dishaw ◽  
Diane M. Strong
Keyword(s):  
Software Maintenance ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Case Tools ◽  
Case Tool ◽  
Task Experience ◽  
Computer Aided Software Engineering

Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools have been advocated for improving maintainer productivity and the quality of maintained software. While there is evidence that such benefits can accrue to organizations adopting maintenance-oriented CASE tools, a key problem in achieving the desired benefits from CASE tools is low usage of these tools by programmers. The previously tested Maintenance Tool Utilization Model was a first step in investigating the factors that affect whether maintainers choose to use CASE tools during maintenance projects. We test the addition of experience with software maintenance tools and with the software maintenance task to the Maintenance Tool Utilization Model. The role of experience is important because managers can provide training to increase experience and they can ensure that project teams have some members experienced with the tools or with the task. Data for the test are collected from software maintainers working on their organization’s normal maintenance project backlog. Tool experience is significant as both a main and interaction effect, but task experience adds little to the explanatory power of the Maintenance Tool Utilization Model. These results support the value of improved CASE tool training programs.

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