Case Research in Global Software Projects: Coordinating Through Knowledge

This paper brings together two challenging areas for both information systems (IS) research and practice: forms of coordination, and the efficacy of global, virtual software development projects. The contribution of the present paper is to develop a more comprehensive, knowledge-based model of how coordination can be achieved, and to illustrate the heuristic and explanatory power of the model when applied to global software projects experiencing different degrees of success. We first detail the literature on coordination, and show also what is known about coordination experiences in global software projects. We then develop, through a literature critique, a new, distinctive knowledge-based model of coordination. This is then employed to analyze two case studies of global software projects, at SAP and Baan, which illustrate the utility of the model. Finally, the paper discusses implications of the findings for future IS research.

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