Global Software Teams

1. Global Software Teams

2. Sources – Handout Readings • Carmel “Global Software Teams” • Alexander “Virtual Teams Going Global” • Geber “Virtual Teams” • Laroche “Technology, Protocol Keep Virtual Teams Going ..” • Solomon “Managing Virtual Teams”

3. Student Learning Objectives You should be able to: • Define a global software team • Describe the team development process • Describe obstacles to the effectiveness of distributed project teams • List and discuss management solutions for distributed project team success • List and describe collaboration tools • Explain the roles of team-building, trust, leadership, architecture, methodology, team memory, and communication for successful global IT teams

4. Virtual Team Drivers • Globalization of organizations • Faster product development cycles needed to be more competitive • Need for organizations to be flexible, respond quickly • Need for skills from across and outside the organization • Need for internal cultural diversity to respond to increasing diversity of customers • Advances in Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs)

5. Global Software Team: Definition • Collaborating on a common systems project • At least 2 sites separated by national boundaries • Led by a project manager and local managers and/or team leaders

6. Emerging Global Software Sites • India: 50,000 software professionals per year • Israel: 2000 high-tech firms • Others: • Chile, Brazil • Ireland, Finland, Russia • China, Australia, Philippines • Shortages in N.A., Europe • Enabled by ICTs • Driven by outsourcing, time, money

7. Team Development Phases • Form Gather information about tasks and each other • Storm • Surface and resolve conflict over styles, values, goals, power • Norm • Achieve balance, coordination, protocols • Perform • Complete tasks, handle conflict • Motivation, satisfaction • Disband: • Closure, document lessons learned

8. An Effective Team: • Gets the job done • Takes care of its members • Trust and support each other • Has confidence in its decisions • Has open, honest communication • Members’ values and needs match group’s • Listen and respond constructively • Value each others’ contributions

9. Tools for Team Development • Training and education • management, technical • Team-building • involvement of team members in planning • ground rules (conflict, decision-making) • professional facilitation • Reward and recognition systems • promote specific behaviors • link rewards to clear, achievable performance goals

10. Managing a Team • Assume the best about people - be kind • Fix the problem vs. finding blame • Have regular, effective meetings • focused, results-oriented, action-oriented • Limit team size to 3-7 • Plan social activities • Nurture team members and train and encourage team to nurture itself • Recognize individual and team achievement

11. Challenges to Global Teams • Loss of control • Dispersed decision-making, less mgt influence • Loss of coordination • Difficulties in day-to-day adjustments • Lack of communication • E-mail is lean, asynchronous • Loose coupling of federated units • Hard to develop shared goals, cohesiveness, trust • Cultural differences

12. Communication tools E-mail Groupware Chat Discussion Audio-conferencing Video-conferencing Software tools Project management Software configuration management CASE Solution: Collaborative IT Require training, leadership, support, fit

13. Solution: Team Building • Creating a sense of affinity, “teamness” • Collective responsibility for product • Interdependent tasks (vs. independent) • Shared rewards and recognition • Tied to teamwork • Time zone awareness

14. Solution: Communication • Communication improvements • Active listening • Protocols • Face-to-face when possible • Building cultural awareness • Team web site

15. Solution: Leadership • Technical, managerial, global dimensions: MERIT • Multi-culturalist / comfortable with multiple styles • Electronic facilitator: communicate visions and link actions electronically • Recognition promoter • Internationalist: follows world events • Traveler: MBFA (management by flying around)

16. Solution: Task Allocation linked to Product Architecture • Design the product architecture before the team • Gradual distribution of responsibilities • Module-based: • Work relatively independently • Formally defined components • Phase-based: • Sequential hand-offs • Documentation especially important • Integrated: follow-the-sun • Faster time-to-market

17. Solution: Software Development Methodology • Common methods needed • Vocabulary / terminology • Norms • Often a source of disagreements between units • Need agreements in writing • Continuous updates, to team website

18. Solution: Telecomm Infrastructure • Reliable high-speed connections • POTS (plain old telephone service) • Does not replace travel

19. Management Guidelines • Lateral communication and coordination • Face-to-face meetings, rotations, e-mail • More formal protocols, more informal communication • Clearly define roles and tasks within larger organizational context • Establish and foster trust • Store team memory • documents and development objects • Foster awareness of culture and language