Seeing inside: Using social network analysis to understand patterns of collaboration and coordination in global software teams

Abstract

One of the pervasive challenges facing any software development team is getting the right level and timing of communication to ensure that people are able to coordinate their work effectively. Communication issues are difficult to address because important aspects of communication are largely invisible to both management and the individuals on the team. Communication challenges are further exaggerated in global software teams, because of the different time-zones, cultures, and working environments. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is an established method for revealing patterns of human communication and decision-making. This tutorial introduces students to basic concepts in SNA, illustrates how SNA can be used to understand the dynamics of and address common communication problems in global software teams, and provides structured exercises in data capture, analysis and interpretation. © 2007 IEEE.