Central Concerns and Questions

We investigate the influence of globally distributed software team structures and processes that these teams employ on project performance outcomes. We take a socio-technical approach and analyze the interrelationships between the team design and system design characteristics to draw insights on how firms could manage globally distributed work.

Emerging Ideas and Initiatives

• Balancing agile and structured processes: We study how software firms could balance structured, plan-based organizational processes with agile routines.
• Knowledge partitioning and transfer: We study the impact of partitioned knowledge in distributed software work and analyze how process-based learning could improve efficacy of knowledge transfer among remote teams.
• Leadership in multi-cultural teams: In collaboration with Prof. Miriam Erez and Alon Lisak from Technion, we are initiating a study to understand characteristics of effective leadership in multi-cultural software teams.

Selected Publications

[1] N. Ramasubbu, S. Mithas, M.S. Krishnan, and C.F. Kemerer. Work Dispersion, Process-Based Learning, and Offshore Software Development Performance. MIS Quarterly, 32(2), pp. 437-458, 2008.

[2] N. Ramasubbu and R. K. Balan. Towards governance schemes for distributed software development projects. 1st international workshop on Software development governance (SDG08), proceedings pp 11-14, 2008.

[3] N. Ramasubbu and R.K. Balan. Globally Distributed Software Project Performance: An Empirical Analysis. Foundations of Software Engineering Conference (FSE), proceedings pp. 125-134, 2007.

[4] N. Ramasubbu, P. Kompalli, and M.S. Krishnan. A Process Maturity Framework for Managing Distributed Development. IEEE Software, pp. 80-86, May/June 2005.

Collaborations and Industry Linkages

1. SAP AG
2. Infosys
3. Wipro
4. Satyam
5. Ramco systems
6. Technion multi-cultural team project, Prof. Miriam Erez , Technion, Haifa, Israel