The problems of designing large software systems were studied through interviewing personnel from 17 large projects. A layered behavioral model is used to analyze how three lgf these problems-the thin spread of application domain knowledge, fluctuating and conflicting requirements, and communication bottlenecks and breakdowns-affected software productivity and quality through their impact on cognitive, social, and organizational processes.

similarities may be useful for some purposes (see Frost & King, 2001 [chapter 1]), but abstractions may present problems in actually accomplishing collaborative work. Second, the natural tendency to establish local territories may interfere with co-workers' identification with the larger collective, such as the distributed project group. Ambiguity of membership reduces group identity (Brown & Wade, 1987; see also Armstrong and Cole, 2001 [chapter 7]). Effects of Spontaneous Communication Distances between offices and work locations possibly have their highest impact on group functioning through their effect on informal, spontaneous communication opportunities (Brockner & Swap, 1976; Ebbesen, Kjos, & Konecni, 1976, Hays, 1985; Kraut & Streeter, 1995; Newcomb, 1981). That is, people who work in proximate offices run into one another at the water cooler, coffee machine, and copier. They see one another come and go to meetings. They meet in the lunch room. These casual encounters increase ...

Based on a study of knowledge transfer within more than 15 industries, across three forms of governance, and between both domestic and international R&D partners, knowledge transfer success was found to be associated with several key variables, and to hinge upon (a) both R&D units’ understanding where the desired knowledge resides within the source, (b) the extent to which the parties share similar knowledge bases, and the extent of interactions between the source and the recipient to (c) transfer the knowledge and (d) participate in an articulation process through which the source’s knowledge is made accessible to the recipient.

Boundary-spanning communication has been found to be important to various types of organizations’and groups as a source of new information and awareness of environmental changes. Although the importance of formal, public channels in building the knowledge base of a field has long been recognized, most studies of boundary-spanning activity have been limited to direct, personal (informal) communication. This study exam-ines both informal and formal communication patterns of three groups in order to determine whether, in fact, a variety of media are used in boundary-spanning com-munication. The groups selected were the members of three professions which fill intermediary positions be-tween the creators and consumers of cultural products; one located in academia and two in the private sector. Major findings were that: (1) A boundary-spanning structure linking 82.2 % of the survey respondents was composed of both informal and formal media. (2) The professions differed in which type of channel was most heavily used, but were similar in their perceptions of the importance of the channels. (3) Individuals central to the informal part of the structure were also more likely to use the formal parts of the structure. (4) Boundary-spanning media were among the five most frequently cited media for all three of the professions.

As the workforce becomes increasingly diverse, motivating individuals from different backgrounds to work together effectively is a major challenge facing organizations. In a experiment conducted at two large public universities in the United States, we manipulate the salience of participants’ multidimensional natural identities and investigate the effects of identity on coordination and cooperation in a series of prisoner’s dilemma games. By priming a fragmenting (ethnic) identity, we find that, compared to the control, Asians exhibit significantly more ingroup cooperation and outgroup discrimination, while Caucasians are not responsive to ethnic priming. In comparison, priming a common organization (school) identity effectively reduces group bias for Asians in the coordination game, resulting in a significant increase of both ingroup and outgroup cooperation. However, in games with a unique inefficient Nash equilibrium, the effects of priming a common identity are more complex. While priming alleviates the negative effects of the competitiveness stereotype on cooperation among UCLA Asians, it enhances such negative effects among University of Michigan Asians.

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at Boston University, ETH Zürich,

Drawing on extensive interviews with senior managers in leading computer services firms and their clients in four countries, this paper seeks to broaden our understanding of the deverticalisation process by exploring the conditions underpinning the oligopolistic nature of the IT outsourcing market and the nature and role of leading computer services firms. The paper identifies the key features underpinning the apparent success of large computer services firms involved in IT outsourcing: the ability to manage a process that is both ‘recombinative’ and learning-based. We explore the tensions and problems for value creation that arise from these features.

Abstract—This paper is part of a broader research effort which seeks to develop an understanding of the fundamental dynamics that govern innovation in the space sector. Framing the space innovation enterprise as a series of control loops, it highlights the critical functions of project prioritization (which balance science needs, technical feasibility and budgetary constraints) and the strategic orientation of technology development (bucketing funding opportunities in terms of 1) generic technology programs in S&T organizations or branches; 2) advanced technology programs addressing specific future needs; and 3) near term technology maturation programs to support identified gaps for particular programs). It examines each of NASA’s, ESA’s and the DoD’s space innovation systems, providing a preliminary analysis of key differences in their approaches. The paper concludes by laying out the next steps in the overall research project.

1 Content 1. Kulwer Academic Publisher Editorial – An Update from OCP-IP ……3 2. ARM Column- Cortex-R4, A comparison with the ARM9E processor family