Divergence and convergence in global software development: Cultural complexities as social worlds

Abstract

This study reports the results of a workplace study of globally distributed software development projects in a global software company. We investigated cultural complexities as social worlds and sought to understand how differences in social worlds between geographically distributed developers become salient in their everyday interactions. By analysing both interviews and observations we identified two types of situations where social worlds become salient in the everyday interactions between developers working at different geographical locations: (1) the divergence of concept and meaning and (2) the convergence of concept but divergence of meaning. We argue that these situations are grounded in social worlds and pose a challenge to work practices in the form of miscommunication and misinterpretation of shared tasks. © Springer-Verlag London 2012.