posted on 2022-09-21, 08:37authored bySadhana Deshpande
Over the last two decades of globalisation, the software industry has witnessed
the emergence of Global Software Development (GSD). Various business motives
have driven software companies to outsource software development projects to
software companies based in low cost economies. Given the highly competitive
environment in which software companies operate, the client and the vendor
have to equip themselves to operate successfully across national and
international boundaries.
Software development carried out at various geographical locations across
boundaries is mainly impeded by distance which can be categorized as exterior
and interior. The exterior distance is formed due to geographical, cultural and
temporal differences while the interior distance is created due to organisational,
technological and knowledge differences. The outcome of these distances is that
they draw out primarily communication, coordination, culture and control issues
which can spiral out of control if not resolved. The literature on GSD gives
evidence as to how various tactics are applied to alleviate these issues created by
global distance.
While each of these is of interest to the GSD researchers, this research study has
particular focus on coordination. Coordination is the act of making things work
together for attaining common goals. In GSD projects, the mechanisms essential
to coordinate the work and manage interdependencies may get disrupted. Hence
appropriate coordination strategies are essential to achieve project goals when
several actors are involved and multiple activities are performed.
The explicit aim of the research presented in this thesis was to develop a GSDCOORD
Model. The GSD-COORD Model comprises of specific processes with a
defined set of strategies for coordination of tasks that can be followed by Project
Managers when managing GSD projects. These strategies have emerged from
literature, multiple case studies conducted in the vendor companies operating in
India and mapped with the relevant sections of the PMBOK® Guide. This GSDCOORD
Model is then validated by GSD researchers and experts from software
companies in various countries. The validation process helped to evaluate the
significance of each strategy in the model and its applicability. The GSD-COORD
Model is an adaptable approach to project management where the processes and
strategies can be tailored to suit different global and organizational settings.