Title: Impact of heterogeneity on software development teams

Authors: Lata Dyaram, T.J. Kamalanabhan

Addresses: Wipro Technologies, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032, Andhra Pradesh, India. ' Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Adyar, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: Changes in Indian workforce and globalisation have resulted in an increase in heterogeneous information technology (IT) teams. Team heterogeneity has been shown to impact various team outcomes. This paper examines the impact of demographic, knowledge and underlying diversity in IT teams on various team outcomes. Data were collected from 62 software development (SD) teams and analysed using multiple regressions. The result suggests that more than other forms of heterogeneity, underlying heterogeneity in SD teams has been consistently a significant predictor of the various team outcomes and thus impacts the team effectiveness.

Keywords: software development; information technology; ICT; communications technology; India; workforces; globalisation; heterogeneous teams; team outcomes; demographic diversity; knowledge diversity; multiple regressions; underlying heterogeneity; significant predictors; team effectiveness; business innovation; R&D; research and development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2011.041051

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2011 Vol.5 No.4, pp.271 - 290

Published online: 07 Mar 2015 *

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