Dissertation Abstract

Virtual teams are fast becoming the norm in organizations and strategies are needed to deal with the new challenges that they create. System Dynamics is a computer based approach for modeling complex physical and social systems and experimenting with the models to design policies for improved performance. Software Project Dynamics is a field of research that uses system dynamics simulation to explore software engineering issues. The objective of this research effort was to enhance systematically the understanding of virtual software engineering by using the system dynamics methodology and existing software project dynamic models. To accomplish the research objective, the following tasks were accomplished:

First, an extensive literature review was done to gain insight into virtual software project teams. Second, a Software Project Dynamics model was reproduced using iThink software. Third, the model was used as an experimentation vehicle to study the dynamic implications of virtual teams.

This paper suggests that system dynamics is a viable tool in the exploration of virtual software engineering challenges. The scope of the research was limited to the human resource management sector of an existing software project dynamics model. A new field of research is recommended to deal with additional challenges of virtual software project teams using system dynamics with the proposed name: Virtual Software Project Dynamics.

Please Complete My Interview

I am looking for interviewees that are currently managing one or more virtual software development projets, have been software project managers or leaders for at least two years, and have managed at least one completed virtual software project and one completed traditional software project.

If you meet these requirements please send me your contact information and answer the five questions posted on my personal forum (complete link below):

http://jorgegalindo.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

Quote of The Day

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Dynamic Hypothesis

In dynamic environments typified by virtual software projects, the author expects that:

H1:

Shorter “Average Daily Manpower Per Staff Member” in virtual teams as they are “assembled and dissembled according to need” (Lipnack and Stamps 2000) and “often consist of inter-organizational participants.” (Wong and Burton 2000)

H2:

A shorter “Hiring Delay” in virtual teams than in traditional software project teams because the virtual workforce is not limited by geographic boundaries and “transcends towns, states, countries, and continents.”(Igbaria, Shayo et al. 1999)

H3:

Longer “Average Employment Time” due to increased employee satisfaction because virtual teams “exhibit more open boundaries, flexible role structures, and self managing qualities.” (Bemmel and Essens 2005)

H4:

Less “Training Overhead” by experienced workforce because virtual software project teams are more likely to use internet-based e-learning services that “can make training programs more accessible for participants from different world regions, and may support the transfer of experiences and best practices.” (Munkvold 2005)

H5:

Longer “Average Assimilation Delay” in virtual software project teams than in traditional teams because of the added complexity of working in a virtual environment. “Virtual teams are complex. They have all the complexity of any group –and then some, magnified by their distributed nature.”(Lipnack and Stamps 2000)

Book Arrived!

The book I mentioned before, "Achieving Project Management Success Using Virtual Teams" has arrived from Amazon. So for it is great! It will help me define the key variables for my dissertation model.

Trust and Leadership in Virtual Teamwork: A Media Naturalness Perspective

Human Resource Management Journal

Darleen M. DeRosa, Donald A. Hantula, Ned Kock, and John D'Arcy

Paradoxically, virtual teams are ubiquitous and often successful, contrary to most current communication theories' predictions. Media naturalness theory (Kock, 2001), an evolutionary perspective on communication and its principles of media naturalness, innate schema similarity, and learned schema diversity can be used to understand, study, and manage successful virtual teamwork. In particular, potential problems of trust and leadership in virtual teams are shown to be amenable to solutions rooted explicitly in an evolutionary context. From a media naturalness perspective, geographic distance and technological complexity are secondary to processes of adaptation, as humans remain the most complex and flexible part of the communication system.

(c) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Virtual Teams - Achieving Project Management Success Using Virtual Teams

Bought a new book, Achieving Project Management Success Using Virtual Teams, By Dr. Parviz Rad and Dr. Ginger Levin last night. I will let you know how good it is. I hope it helps with my dissertation.