Intercultural Challenges in Offshore Software Development Outsourcing Relationship: An Empirical Study
Intercultural Challenges in Offshore Software Development
Keywords:
Intercultural challenges, offshore software development outsourcing, vendors, empirical studyAbstract
The importance of intercultural challenges is recognized by both the practitioners and researchers in offshore software development outsourcing (OSDO) relationships. These challenges affect almost all the activities involved in offshore software development outsourcing relationships especially communication, mutual understanding, interpretation and decision making processes etc. which in turn leads to project failure. In our previous published study we identified, through systematic literature review (SLR), various intercultural challenges faced by vendors in OSDO relationship. The aim of this study was to validate these findings through industry practitioners and to identify its intensity as well as to identify any other intercultural challenges, faced by vendor organizations in OSDO relationships. We performed questionnaire surveys with 41 experts from different software companies. A seven point likert scale was used to determine the significance of each intercultural challenge. Our findings indicate that all the intercultural challenges are critical for OSDO vendors. We further analyzed these challenges based on different variables, such as company size, company type, expert’s job/position etc. We have identified that there is no significant difference in the intercultural challenges based on company type and expert’s experience level. We identified that “language and language proficiency” is the most commonly agreed and “difference in social behaviour” is the most commonly disagreed intercultural challenge in the category of both sizes of company. Similarly “language and language proficiency” is the most commonly agreed challenge based on experts job positions.
References
Kumar, S.A. and A.K. Thangavelu. Factors affecting the outcome of global software development projects: An empirical study. In:IEEE International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics (ICCCI -2013). Coimbatore, India (2013).
Li, F., H. Lin, S. Li, C. Guo, & X. Zhao. Selfadapting task allocation approach for software outsourcing services. In: IEEE International Conference on Service Operation, Logistics and Informatics (SOLI), Suzhou, China (2012).
Wende, E. & T. Philip. Instant messenger in offshore outsourced software development projects: Experiences from a case study. In: 44th IEEE Hawaii International Conference System Sciences (HICSS), Kauai, Hawaii (2011).
Shah, H., N.J. Nersessian, J.H. Mary, & N. Wendy. Studying the influence of culture in global software engineering: Thinking in terms of cultural models. In: 4th International Conference on Intercultural Collaboration (ICIC '12), Bengaluru, India (2012).
Cho, J. Globalization and global software development. Issues in Information Systems 8(2): 287-290 (2007).
Khan, S.U. & M. Niazi, Software Outsourcing Vendors’ Readiness Model (SOVRM). School of Computing and Mathematics, Keele University, UK. p.381 (2011).
Nidhra, S., M. Yanamadala, W. Afzal, & R. Torkar, Knowledge transfer challenges and mitigation strategies in global software development — A systematic literature review and industrial validation. International Journal of Information Management 33: 333-355 (2013).
Jaanu, T., M. Paasivaara, & C. Lassenius. Effects of four distances on communication processes in global software projects. In: IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM), Lund, Sweden (2012).
Bannerman, P.L., H. Emam, & J. Ross. Scrum practice mitigation of global software development coordination challenges: A distinctive advantage? In: 45th IEEE Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Maui, Hawaii (2012).
Ita, R., C. Valentine, M. Fergal, B. John, & B. Sarah, A process framework for global software engineering teams. Information and Software Technology 54(11): 1175-1191 (2012).
Palacio, R.R., A.L. Moran, V.M. Gonzalez, and A. Vizcaino, Selective availability: Coordinating interaction initiation in distributed software development. Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Software 6(3): 185-198 (2012).
Gopal, A., E. J. Alberto, G. Sanjay, & D. David, Coordination and performance in global software service delivery: The vendor’s perspective. IEEE Transaction on Engineering Management 58(4): 772-785 (2011).
Ilyas, M. & S.U. Khan. Software integration model for global software development. In: 15th International Multitopic Conference (INMIC), Islamabad, Pakistan (2012).
Khan, S.U., M. Niazi, and R. Ahmad, Barriers in the selection of offshore software development outsourcing vendors: An exploratory study using a systematic literature review. Information and Software Technology 53(7): 693-706 (2011).
Boroujerdi, M. & Y. Wang. Cultural Challenges on Information Technology Outsourcing. PhD Dissertation, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden (2015).
Khan, S.U. & M.I. Azeem, Intercultural challenges in offshore software development outsourcing relationships: An exploratory study using a systematic literature review. Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Software 8(4): 161-173 (2014).
Casey, V. Imparting the importance of culture to global software development. ACM Inroads 1(3): 51-57 (2010).
Zakour, A. B. Cultural differences and information technology acceptance. In: 7th Annual Conference of the Southern Association for Information Systems, Savannah, USA, p. 156-161, (2004).
Tylor, S.E.B. Primitive Culture: Researches into the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 468 pp. (2010).
Herbsleb, J. & D. Moitra, Global software development. IEEE Software, 18(2): 16-20 (2011).
Khan, S.U., M. Niazi, & R. Ahmad, Empirical investigation of success factors for offshore software development outsourcing vendors. Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Software 6(1):1-15 (2012).
Abufardeh, S. & K. Megal. The impact of global software cultural and linguistic aspects on global software development process (GSD): Issues and challenges. In: 4th IEEE International Conference on New Trends in Information Science and Service Science (NISS). Gyeongju, South Korea, p. 133-138(2010).
Verner, J.M., O.P. Brereton, B.A. Kitchenham, M. Turner, & M. Niazi, Risks and risk mitigation in global software development: A tertiary study. Information and Software Technology 56(1): 54-78 (2014).
Niazi, M., N. Ikram, M. Bano, S. Imtiaz, & S.U. Khan, Establishing trust in offshore software outsourcing relationships: An exploratory study using systematic literature review. Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Software 7(5): 283-293 (2013).
Khan, S.U., M. Niazi, & R. Ahmad, Factors influencing clients in the selection of offshore software outsourcing vendors: An exploratory study using a systematic literature review. The Journal of Systems and Software 84(4): 686-699 (2011).
Gupta, U. & V. Raval, Critical success factors for anchoring offshore projects. Information Strategy: The Executive's Journal 15(2): 21-27 (1999).
Niazi, M., D. Wilson, D. Zowghi, & B. Wong. A model for the implementation of software process improvement: An empirical study. In: Proceedings of Fifth International Conference on Product Focused Software Process Improvement (Profes 2004). Kausai Science City, Japan, April 5-8, 2004 (2004).
Niazi, M., K. Cox, & J. Verner. An empirical study identifying high perceived value requirements engineering practices. In: Fourteenth International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD´2005). Karlstad University, Sweden, August 15-17, (2005).
Niazi, M., S. Mahmood, M. Alshayeb, & A. Hroub, Empirical investigation of the challenges of the existing tools used in global software development projects. Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Software 9(5): 135-143 (2015).
Kitchenham, B. & S.L. Pfleeger, Principles of Survey Research, Parts 1 to 6, SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes. ACM Press (2001-2002).
Lethbridge, T.C., Studying Software engineers: data collection techniques for software field studies. Empirical Software Engineering, 10: 311-341 (2005).
Regnell, B., P. Runeson, & T. Thelin, Are the perspectives really different-further experimentation on scenario-based reading of requirements. Empirical Software Engineering 5(4): 331-356 (2000).
Niazi, M., D. Wilson, & D. Zowghi, Critical success factors for software process improvement: An empirical study. Software Process Improvement and Practice Journal 11(2): 193-211 (2006).
Baddoo, N. & T. Hall, Motivators of software process improvement: An analysis of practitioner's views. Journal of Systems and Software (62): 85- 96 (2002).
Beecham, S., T. Hall, & A. Rainer, Software process problems in twelve software companies: an empirical analysis. Empirical Software Engineering 8: 7-42 (2003).
Azeem, M.I. & S.U. Khan, Intercultural challenges mitigation model for software development outsourcing vendors. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology 47: 123-132 (2012).
Ali, S & S.U. Khan, Critical Success Factors for Software Outsourcing Partnership (SOP): A Systematic Literature Review, In: 9th IEEE International Conference on Global Software Engineering Software Engineering Conference (ICGSE 2014), Shanghai China, p.153-162(2014).
Khan S.U & S. Ali, Empirical Investigation of Success Factors for Establishing Software Outsourcing Partnership from Vendor’s Perspective. Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences 52(4):315–328 (2015).
Ali, S. & S.U. Khan. Software Outsourcing Partnership Model. Science International (Lahore) 26(4): 1437-144 (2014).
