The dynamics of work organization, knowledge and technology during software development

✍ Scribed by P.E. Waterson; C.W. Clegg; C.M. Axtell

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 267 KB
• Volume: 46
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1071-5819
• DOI: 10.1006/ijhc.1996.0084

✦ Synopsis

In this paper we report findings from a study of the impact of cognitive and organizational factors upon the work of a software development project within a commercial context . We chose to study the relationship between the way in which project work is organized ; the distribution of knowledge amongst project members ; their use of programming tools ; and the major problems that occurred during the development of a large scale computer program . Our findings point to a dynamic interplay between these factors which partly reflects the importance of expertise and knowledge within the project as well as evidence of opportunistic and emergent forms of work organization , communication and collaboration . Our study demonstrates the importance of recognizing the influence that managerial interventions and the use of new technology can have upon the conduct of software development , as well as the dif ficulties such changes may bring about when they disrupt organizational and cognitive processes such as ''mutual adjustment'' and ''knowledge sharing'' . We conclude the paper by describing a series of implications and recommendations . These cover issues related to the ''knowledge intensive'' nature of