Knowledge Transfer in Distributed Software Support with a Traceability Framework

Authors

Kannan Mohan, Department of Statistics and Computer Information Systems Zicklin School of Business Baruch CollegeFollow
Balasubramaniam Ramesh, Department of Computer Information Systems J. Mack Robinson College of Business Georgia State UniversityFollow
Lan Cao, Department of Information Technology College of Business and Public Administration Old Dominion UniversityFollow

Abstract

Distributed software support has become increasingly common especially due to the rampant globalization of the software development process. Transfer of contextual knowledge across stakeholders involved in such distributed environments is critical to successful product development and support. Timely transfer of appropriate knowledge about issues faced in production environments to support teams and within support teams can result in significant economic benefits. Failure to share contextual knowledge and lack of common understanding significantly impact the quality of support. We draw from the literature on knowledge transfer and adaptive structuration theory to develop a theoretical basis and an approach to knowledge transfer in distributed software support contexts. Based on a multi-site case study, we develop a traceability framework to enhance shared understanding among team members. A qualitative evaluation of the usefulness of our traceability-based approach to knowledge transfer is presented.

Recommended Citation

Mohan, Kannan; Ramesh, Balasubramaniam; and Cao, Lan, "Knowledge Transfer in Distributed Software Support with a Traceability Framework" (2010). AMCIS 2010 Proceedings. 200.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2010/200