The document discusses factors for successful product development in China, including having a clear definition of what problem the product solves (WHY), making decisions locally while having a global vision, and having a clear definition of when the product is finished. It also discusses how Chinese culture can impact areas like knowledge sharing, communication, and reviews through cultural factors like power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and concern for face. The document references a study analyzing the cultural impact on intergroup coordination for software development in China.
14. Reference
Cultural Impact on Intergroup Coordination in
Software Development in China: A Qualitative
Analysis
by
Minghui Yuan & Doug Vogel
City University of Hong Kong
2006
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Notes de l'éditeur
You got to define, explain, and evolve a product - all with a team in China.
Good software products are hard to make. Its even harder to produce good software with a distributed team in China.
Here are some key factors that can position you to greater chance of success.
You got to define, explain, and evolve a product - all with a team in China.
Good software products are hard to make. Its even harder to produce good software with a distributed team in China.
Here are some key factors that can position you to greater chance of success.
You got to define, explain, and evolve a product - all with a team in China.
Good software products are hard to make. Its even harder to produce good software with a distributed team in China.
Here are some key factors that can position you to greater chance of success.
Assumption: The team will not know unless someone tells them.
You can tell them the program needs to add 2 + 2.
Don’t stop there: tell them what good will this addition do? Spark their curiosity, bring their heads in the game
It should result in a better WHAT.
why? Because going from Reqts-> Design will result in a Requirement explosion of up to 50 times of original requirements.
Who is filling these requirements gaps?
Derived requirements need localized decision making or else time will be lost.
Architecture and Design issues will come up - these need resolution earlier in the game.
Unidirectional flow of decisions will remove sense of collective ownership.
Allow for course correction and mistake forgiveness but dont prevent local decision making.
Expectation setting for DONE.
Corollary is that if its NOT DONE - dont call it DONE.
Extra points for pointing out things that still remain.
Early issue identification is rewarded.
DONT HIDE THE REALITY.
Are Unit Tests done
Are Integration Tests done.
Any non-functional testing done?
Any cross browser type testing done?
Less functionality but done functionality.
Factors which contribute to Inter-group success.
1. is there knowledge sharing between the groups?
2. is there open communication between the groups?
3. do groups try to outdo each other or help each other succeed?
4. each group committed to objectives and success?
Chinese cultural factors:
1. centralization of authority
2. Directed style of management
3. Asking subordinates for opinion is uncommon
---> impact
1. learning from superiors is common
2. questioning superiors is uncommon
how will you overcome this ? in software industry its less of a problem but still a problem
direct impact on artifact reviews.
Tolerance for ambiguity - high degrees of this factor may kill your product.
1. how will you make sure ambiguity is minimized
2. free flow of information to remove ambiguity
3. specifications that have recurring ambiguity will tend to be ignored
how will you overcome this?
- treating ingroup/outgroup members differently.
- knowledge sharing in outgroup less than ingroup
- real issue of trusting outgroup stakeholder commitments
- how will you break the us versus them mentality?
- blurring the boundaries of ingroup and outgroup helps
Questions = Sign that you are stupid
- Need to reverse this mentality by example. ( i used to ask a lot of questions to outgroups. gradually team got comfortable following my example).
- Asking for help is a sign of weakness.
- Substitute this fear/anxiety with Reciprocity principle: i will help you if you will help me.
- If you improve my product, I will help you improve yours
- Pronounced when dealing with Outgroup members