Relationships among geographic dispersion, team processes, and effectiveness in software development work teams

This study examines the relationships among geographic dispersion, team processes, and effectiveness in teams carrying out software development work. Geographically dispersed teams have become prevalent in many knowledge- and service-based organizations. However, researchers have not established the nature of the associations among geographic dispersion, team processes and team effectiveness for real teams operating in organizations to carry out particular tasks. This paper uses the sociotechnical systems perspective to orient the exploration of this question. A study of 218 members of 39 software development work teams was conducted. Results show that geographic dispersion significantly and negatively relates to work processes and team effectiveness.