Dimensions of Consistency in GSD: Social Factors, Structures and Interactions

Global software development (GSD) implies a distributed development organization, where coordination is needed to efficiently achieve development objectives. So far, socio-technical congruence has examined coordination needs and activities through software code dependencies. However, GSD requires coordination beyond software artifacts. In this paper, we present an interview-based study of software practitioners from companies engaged in GSD. The study examines how different dimensions of interactions are interrelated, and how they affect software development. Our study suggests that, in addition to the relationship between organizational and technical system structure, GSD performance is affected by consistency in communication, operational procedures, and social structures. These can only partially be impacted through formal procedures, and we suggest that distributing coordination work by empowering developers could lead to increased performance.