| Despite the substantial software expenditures, and today's sophisticated software development tools and techniques, the successful development of information systems continues to be problematic. Understanding the factors that determine software development outcomes is an important step towards successfully deploying information systems. Software development is a complex process requiring the integration of knowledge from multiple technical and functional domains. The process is cognitively demanding and information intensive. Projects are generally carried out in teams. Previous research has demonstrated that information sharing has a direct positive effect on team performance, however, little is known about key mechanisms which may intervene in the process. The goal of this research is to understand how information sharing influences team performance from a socio-cognitive perspective in the software development context. Specifically, we theorize conflict, collective efficacy and shared mental models as intervening mechanisms in the information sharing and team performance relationship. Data were collected from teams of experienced software development professionals. Four constructs, information sharing, conflict, collective efficacy and shared mental models explained seventy-seven percent of the variation in team performance. The results of the study provide important insight into effectively managing software development activities. |
