TY - GEN
T1 - Bridging knowledge distribution - the role of knowledge brokers in distributed software development teams
AU - Boden, Alexander
AU - Avram, Gabriela
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Software development requires the handling of complex and context specific knowledge to be successful. Hence, efficient knowledge management (KM) counts amongst the most important challenges for any software project, but especially for small enterprises working with distributed teams. One important topic for KM in distributed teams is the role of "bridges" enacted by people who become boundary spanners and facilitate the exchange of knowledge between the sites. In our paper we present empirical findings related to such bridges in the context of two small companies with offshore sites. In doing so, we concentrate on the particular roles these knowledge brokers play in the distributed development practices. We show how small software companies rely on the commitment of particular team members and informal knowledge management practices. The paper concludes with a number of open questions to be addressed by future studies.
AB - Software development requires the handling of complex and context specific knowledge to be successful. Hence, efficient knowledge management (KM) counts amongst the most important challenges for any software project, but especially for small enterprises working with distributed teams. One important topic for KM in distributed teams is the role of "bridges" enacted by people who become boundary spanners and facilitate the exchange of knowledge between the sites. In our paper we present empirical findings related to such bridges in the context of two small companies with offshore sites. In doing so, we concentrate on the particular roles these knowledge brokers play in the distributed development practices. We show how small software companies rely on the commitment of particular team members and informal knowledge management practices. The paper concludes with a number of open questions to be addressed by future studies.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70349728360&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/CHASE.2009.5071402
DO - 10.1109/CHASE.2009.5071402
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:70349728360
SN - 9781424437122
T3 - Proceedings of the 2009 ICSE Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects on Software Engineering, CHASE 2009
SP - 8
EP - 11
BT - Proceedings of the 2009 ICSE Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects on Software Engineering, CHASE 2009
T2 - 2009 ICSE Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects on Software Engineering, CHASE 2009
Y2 - 17 May 2009 through 17 May 2009
ER -