Packaged software development teams: What makes them different?

Erran Carmel, Steve Sawyer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

83 Scopus citations

Abstract

Discusses the characteristics of packaged software versus information systems (IS) development environments that capture the differences between the teams that develop software in these respective industries. The analysis spans four levels: the industry, the dynamics of software development, the cultural milieu, and the teams themselves. Finds that, relative to IS: the packaged software industry is characterized by intense time pressures, less attention to costs, and different measures of success; the packaged software development environment is characterized by being a “line” rather than “staff” unit, having a greater distance from the actual users/customers, a less mature development process; the packaged software cultural milieu is characterized as individualistic and entrepreneurial; the packaged software team is characterized as less likely to be matrix managed and being smaller, more co-located, with a greater shared vision.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7-19
Number of pages13
JournalInformation Technology & People
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 1998

Keywords

  • Corporate culture
  • Product differentiation
  • Software development
  • Teams

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Information Systems
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Library and Information Sciences

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