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Dissertation Information for Steven Burton Sawyer

NAME:
- Steven Burton Sawyer
- (Alias) Steve Sawyer

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Management Information Systems

SCHOOL:
- Boston University (USA) (1995)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: High performing teams and support technology in software development

Abstract: "This work investigates characteristics of high performing software development (ISD) teams and the effects EMS use has on ISD teams. ISD teams are the focus for this research because developing information systems is a demanding task and ISD teams exist in a complex environment. The study is premised on the concept that group processes are linked to outcomes. Characteristics of the team members and the group contribute to the process, as does use of technology. Technology is defined by the functionality employed. To conduct the study, two group process models are used to describe group performance.

Five data collection methods are employed. First, a self-administered survey of team members from 40 project teams at one site of a multi-national software development organization. Second, phone-based interviews of stakeholders for each of these projects. Third, process analysis of several ISD teams in comparable meetings will augment the field survey. Finally, semi-structured, open-ended interviews and archival records of EMS use complete the data collection. These last two sources of data are used to support the analysis of the surveys and meetings, and provide contextual insight.

Findings support the importance of the intra-group conflict management process to the group's performance. A path model accounts for 26% of the variance between high and low performing teams in this sample. Further, the intra-group control process is not a significant contributor to performance. The use of technology to reduce work uncertainty contributes to the performance of teams, as do the focus and support these teams receive."

MPACT Scores for Steven Burton Sawyer

A = 1
C = 9
A+C = 10
T = 1
G = 1
W = 1
TD = 1
TA = 0
calculated 2014-03-08 20:13:37

Advisors and Advisees Graph