The effect of cultural differences on software development

Abstract

This study investigates the cultural issues concerning software development in which the United States (US) and Europe outsource their Information Technology (IT) offshore to emerging countries. Though the benefits of Offshore Software Development (OSD) may result in reduced labour costs for UK and Europeans software development companies; there are concerns about the practice as there are other impacts. The virtual setting of the global environment inhibits team cohesion and interferes with the communication process as the teams collaborate across both regional and functional boundaries. This presents challenges in the cross-cultural relationship of OSD projects as it influences work ethics, task performance and other factors, not just at a management level but at all levels in the organisation. Evidence of the dynamic effect of culture is demonstrated through the experiences of experts associated with OSD; highlighting cultural variables that negatively influence the quality, time and cost of software development.