The many facets of distance and space: the mobility of actors in globally distributed project teams

Date
2012
Authors
Clear, Tony
Hussain, W
MacDonell, SG
Supervisor
Item type
Conference Contribution
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IEEE Computer Society Press
Abstract

Global software development practices are shaped by the challenges of time and 'distance', notions perceived to separate sites in a multi-site collaboration. Yet while sites may be fixed, the actors in global projects are mobile, so distance becomes a dynamic spatial dimension rather than a static concept. This empirical study applies grounded theory to unpack the nature of mobility within a three site globally distributed team setting. We develop a model for mapping the movements of team members in local and global spaces, and demonstrate its operation through static snapshots and dynamic patterns evolving over time. Through this study we highlight the complexity of 'mobility' as one facet of 'space' in globally distributed teams and illuminate its tight coupling with the accompanying dimensions of accessibility and context awareness.

Description
Keywords
Distance , Global software development , Globally distributed teams , Mobility , Space
Source
Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Global Software Engineering (ICGSE 2012), Porto Alegre, Brazil, pp.144 - 148
Rights statement
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