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Software Development Teams: Processes, Conflict, and Performance Analysis

This research explores the impact of different software development processes, conflicts within teams, and the use of ICT on team performance. Findings reveal varying effects based on team type and ICT usage, emphasizing the importance of team structure and processes. The study highlights the complexity of ICT utilization for production, coordination, and control across different software development contexts.

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Software Development Teams: Processes, Conflict, and Performance Analysis

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  1. Teams, Processes and Performance in Software Development Steve Sawyer Associate Professor, School of Information Sciences & Technology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania USA 16802 814-65-4450 (o) 814-865-5604 (f) sawyer@ist.psu.edu Affiliate appointments with: Department of Labor Studies & Industrial Relations, College of the Liberal Arts Management and Organizations Department, Smeal Business College Science Technology & Society Program, College of Engineering Visiting Associate Professor, Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies American Univ., 10 Dec, 2003

  2. Support for this research provided by IBM, Boeing, and Syracuse University. • Some of the data used here collected as part of a research project with Erran Carmel! • Analysis done by Dr. Sophia Cho, now with World Bank, Phillipines. Credits

  3. Research questions (1) • Contributions (1) • Studying software development (2) • Research approach (2) • Analysis (3) • Findings (5) • Discussion (1) • And, so?(1) Today

  4. Do different forms of software development have different processes? • Is conflict a predictor of performance in software development teams? • Does using ICT affect the performance of software development teams? Research questions

  5. Contrasting software development teams and the role of conflict in: • Spec. built • Large package and • Small package • Conceptualizing functional view of ICT as: • Production • Coordination • Control Contributions

  6. Software development It is the center of information systems and why we use computers. • Teams Are locus of making software (and conflict is an issue…) • Processes Are how software is made • Performance To effect change … . Why study:

  7. Technical aspects such as tools, languages, environments, methods • Individual differences and contributions • Social aspects (teams and team-level issues) • Context (domain, org, ….) How to study?

  8. Combine three field studies: • Common design and goals • Survey(s) with common elements, observations, interviews & secondary data. • Total of 116 teams: • 62 doing spec. development • 28 doing ‘large’ packages • 26 doing ‘small’ packages* * - no ICT data on these Research approach

  9. Research model Team structure Team process Team Perform. Team conflict This is a(n): * path model * factor model * atemporal model Uses of ICT for: Production Coordination Control

  10. Exploratory so MRC … • Power (for 6-7 items) ok • Issues w/combining data: • Different q’s for ICT uses • Focus on comparisons • Still, exploratory factor analyses load cleanly and explain 60.7% of variance • But, Chronbach’s alpha of items range from .53 to .91 . Analysis

  11. Correlations for general model N = 116. *p < .05; **p < .01.

  12. Correlations for ICT use model N = 90. *p < .05; **p < .01.

  13. School of Information Sciences and Technology/Penn State Path Models (no ICT) N = 116 N = 62 General (adj. R2: 16%) Spec. (adj. R2: 18%) Small pack (adj. R2: 13%) Large pack (adj. R2: 18%) N = 26 N = 28

  14. Do different forms of software development have different processes? Yes -- models differ: • Team process and team structure important (save for large package teams) • Do not predict performance for small package teams • 80+% of variance not accounted for here • Unexpected direct effects RQ1

  15. Is conflict a predictor of performance in software development teams? Yes – save in general model (!?) • Either direct or indirect effect • Accounts for half of all explained variance. • Negatively correlated with team structure, team process and team performance (more is bad). RQ2

  16. Does using ICT affect the performance of software development teams? Depends – on which teams: Yes for spec. teams: • Control and Coordination have direct and indirect effects • They account for 9% of explained variance. No for large package teams. • ALL teams use ICT! RQ3

  17. School of Information Sciences and Technology/Penn State Uses of ICT in Spec. & Large Package teams. N = 62 Spec. (adj. R2: 26%) No ICT? Large pack (adj. R2: 18%) N = 28

  18. Team processes vary by the type of software. • But, team’s level of conflict affects performance. • Value of ICT use complex: • Ubiquitous but … • Varies by type of software • Varies by ICT’s function • With production less important than control and coordination. Discussion

  19. Social processes, individual actions and uses of ICT are related. Suggests one-size does not fit all in making software? • Lots of unexplained variance. Maybe it is all about a few good people? • Small package development is not understood (other than it is important, entrepreneurial and idiosyncratic). Is this OK? And, so?

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