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In sync over distance : flexible coordination through communication in geographically distributed software development work

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dc.contributor.advisor JoAnne Yates. en_US
dc.contributor.author Im, Hyun Gyung en_US
dc.contributor.other Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Science, Technology and Society. en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2008-02-27T22:20:29Z
dc.date.available 2008-02-27T22:20:29Z
dc.date.copyright 2006 en_US
dc.date.issued 2006 en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40393
dc.description Thesis (Ph. D. in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society (HASTS))--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Science, Technology and Society, 2006. en_US
dc.description Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-219). en_US
dc.description.abstract In this dissertation, I examine how the members of a distributed software development team (LC) operating entirely virtually for four and half years developed useful social practices to collaborate across time and space. Based on various communication data from LC, I analyze the communicative structuring of distributed work in members' daily practices. I show that "temporal flexibility," often mentioned as key advantage of virtual organizing, is socially accomplished through "boundary management," as members negotiate different temporal boundaries and learn and adapt to others' temporal patterns. Second, I identify dynamic coordination practices in LC that interweave multiple modes of communication and coordination in evolving work contexts, and demonstrate how these coordination practices facilitate temporal flexibility in LC. Finally, I analyze how members used the asynchronous communication medium of email to coordinate their tasks, using the notion of genre and genre system. en_US
dc.description.abstract (cont.) My analysis suggests that communicating, coordinating, and temporal structuring are not distinctive activities, but are closely bound up with each other in a local practice; time, communication, and coordination are dynamically reconfigured over time, reflecting evolving work, social relations, and local contexts. Key Words: distribute teams, virtual teams, virtual organizing, technology-mediated communication, temporal flexibility, coordinating, communicating, temporal structuring, social practices, communicative structuring, genre and genre system, reconfiguration of time, communication, and coordination. en_US
dc.description.provenance Made available in DSpace on 2008-02-27T22:20:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 191673032.pdf: 14903151 bytes, checksum: fa5e824c334c2f2bf23070e4e3032f0b (MD5) 191673032-MIT.pdf: 14902943 bytes, checksum: ea72f5604258b494261e3faf95c80e51 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 en
dc.description.statementofresponsibility by Hyun Gyung Im. en_US
dc.format.extent 227 p. en_US
dc.language.iso eng en_US
dc.publisher Massachusetts Institute of Technology en_US
dc.rights M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. en_US
dc.rights.uri http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
dc.subject Program in Science, Technology and Society. en_US
dc.title In sync over distance : flexible coordination through communication in geographically distributed software development work en_US
dc.title.alternative Flexible coordination through communication in geographically distributed software development work en_US
dc.type Thesis en_US
dc.description.degree Ph.D.in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society (HASTS en_US
dc.contributor.department Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Science, Technology and Society. en_US
dc.identifier.oclc 191673032 en_US

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