Making software in china with cross-cultural teams. Key technical, management and cultural aspects to consider.

1. Make This in China
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.

2. Most important word when describing the product:
WHY?
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

3. Expected Result:
A better “WHAT?”
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?

4. Two Way Decisions
Global Vision
but
Localized Decision Making
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.

5. Um, looks almost done.....
Clear and present
definition of done
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.

6. Impact of Chinese culture on success factors
Knowledge sharing
Communication
Mutual support
Stakeholder commitment
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?

7. Power Distance:
The perceived
freedom to question
superiors
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.

8. Uncertainty Avoidance:
The path to clarity
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?

9. Individualism/Collectivism:
Level of outgroup trust
- treating ingroup/outgroup members dierently.
- 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

10. Concern for face:
Reviews
Clarifications
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

11. 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