This dissertation by C.J. Meadows investigates the creation of software technology through international, often outsourced, teams, with a focus on emerging‑economy IT industries such as India and the broader Asia‑Pacific region. It frames software development as an intellectual product that can be produced at low capital cost but high human‑capital cost, making it attractive for firms in advanced economies to outsource. The work surveys the global software market, details the size, productivity, and compensation structures of emerging‑economy firms, and defines terminology (e.g., NIC, AC, emerging economy). It then examines project‑management risk, communication intensity, and media richness in transnational settings, proposing a series of empirically‑tested propositions about how communication patterns, face‑to‑face interaction, and mismatches between communication intensity and media richness affect project performance (satisfaction, work‑hours, requirements creep, quality, group growth). The dissertation presents a research design, data collection from a sample of client firms, and extensive statistical analyses (correlations, regressions, ANOVAs) to support its propositions. The study contributes a framework for “transnationalizing” systems development, offering both academic insight and practical guidance for managing outsourced software projects.
Topics
International Outsourcing as Strategic Opportunity and Risk
Explores why advanced‑country firms view software outsourcing to emerging economies as a cost‑effective way to access high‑skill labor, while also confronting cultural, regulatory, and communication challenges.