The influence of subgroup dynamics on knowledge coordination in distributed software development teams: A transactive memory system and group faultline perspective

With the globalization of the software industry, distributed software teams (DSTs) have become increasingly common. Among the various social aspects that are essential to the success of distributed software projects, the focus of this research is the impact of inter-subgroup dynamics on knowledge coordination. To address this research question, we extend and apply theory from two primary sources: transactive memory systems theory and the faultline model. We describe afield survey study that is in progress. The findings from this study will inform managers on how DSTs develop capabilities to perform successfully across temporal, geographic and cultural boundaries.