Global software teams: collaborating across borders and time zones
Global software teams: collaborating across borders and time zones
Interaction and outeraction: instant messaging in action
CSCW '00 Proceedings of the 2000 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Introducing instant messaging and chat in the workplace
Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
The character, functions, and styles of instant messaging in the workplace
CSCW '02 Proceedings of the 2002 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Effects of instant messaging interruptions on computing tasks
CHI '00 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Kinetic typography-based instant messaging
CHI '03 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Introducing chat into business organizations: toward an instant messaging maturity model
GROUP '03 Proceedings of the 2003 international ACM SIGGROUP conference on Supporting group work
Managing cross-cultural issues in global software outsourcing
Communications of the ACM - Human-computer etiquette
Group awareness in distributed software development
CSCW '04 Proceedings of the 2004 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Controlling interruptions: awareness displays and social motivation for coordination
CSCW '04 Proceedings of the 2004 ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work
CASCON '07 Proceedings of the 2007 conference of the center for advanced studies on Collaborative research
Information "bridging" in a global organization
CASCON '07 Proceedings of the 2007 conference of the center for advanced studies on Collaborative research
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Instant Messaging IM has been strictly forbidden in some companies as an unproductive use of time and exists in others via unsanctioned employee actions without explicit approval or directive from upper management. This paper examines a set of globally distributed software teams in a company that has explicitly installed and integrated IM capabilities with its collaboration management tools. Through a set of semi-structured interviews and the application of adaptive structuration theory, this study finds that because of the unique characteristics of global software development, IM is a highly useful tool for maintaining team cohesiveness and supporting team communication. Although the study finds strong support for the value of IM, it also identifies that the time distributed nature of the work, the informality of the medium as it interacts with different cultures and the productivity loss from IM's interruptive nature are problematic. A set of recommendations is made to address these problems. The paper concludes that IM is a useful tool for global software development and its advantages outweigh its problems.