Exploring the Emergence of Collaborative Practices in Globally Distributed Agile Software Development

Abstract In light of increasing use of agile methods within globally distributed settings, having an appreciation of how collaborative practices and shared understandings are developed has become even more critical. This paper draws on the concepts of boundary objects and Pickering’s mangle of practice as combined critical lenses to examine emergent collaborative practices in such contexts. We investigated one longitudinal case within a global financial bank using semi-structured interviews and observations. Our relational analysis demonstrates that collaborative practices within globally distributed contexts tend not to develop from pre-set expectations of how agile practices should work or from pre-set distributed agile processes, but are temporally emergent. Team members have to adapt agile methods through an on-going process of mutual “tuning” within their situated contexts in order to attain temporary stable periods of effective communication and coordination. The study concludes by proposing a conceptual framework, which could be applied in similar settings.