Exploring agility in distributed information system today

Challenges for managing globally distributed team

It is impossible to meet face-to-face on a regular basis

due to distance
Informal interpersonal communication across sites is
absent and therefore does not support team motivation
and cohesion
Time-zone differences limit the time available to
communicate and/or to apply c&c mechanisms and
tend to increase respond time (causing unproductive
waits and delays)
Cultural differences (language, conversation style,
values, working & communication norms/habits, implicit
assumptions, etc.) may easily result in
Furthermore collaboration across sites might become problematic
Asymmetry in distribution of information among sistes
Difference in skill sets
Variation In tools ,methods,

Complexity theory
The complexity of IS development projects
(ISDPs) can be understood and measured along
two dimensions: organizational/technological
and structural/dynamic.

When comes to complexity of the ISDP, the

technology aspects are more obvious , but the
organizational aspects have more significant effects of
the performance and outcomes.
Inherently complex

IS development involves the analysis, design, and implementation of

applications and systems
to support business operations in an organizational context.
We then introduce our co-evolutionary framework of ISD. Our framework is defined primarily
by seven first principles of adaptive success
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)

adaptive tension;
requisite complexity;
change rate;
modular design;
positive feedback;
causal intricacy; and
coordination rhythm

Both technological and organizational dimesnions of the compelxity related to ISD

Structured organization: reflects the strength and nature of the relationships among the
items in the organizaitons environment
Sturctured IT: complexity of relationships among It elements: the diversity of user units,
software environments, nature of data processing, variety of technology platform, need for
integration, and diversity of external vendors and contractors
Dynamic org: capture pattern and rate of change in ISDP intraorganizaitonal environments,
including changes in user information needs, business processes, and organizational
structures
Dynamic IT: measures change in IT environment, infrastructure and software development
tools, architecture