Culture dimensions in software development industry: The effects of mentoring Articles uri icon

authors

  • CASADO LUMBRERAS, CRISTINA
  • COLOMO PALACIOS, RICARDO
  • SOTO ACOSTA, PEDRO
  • MISRA, SANJAY

publication date

  • June 2011

start page

  • 2403

end page

  • 2412

issue

  • 11

volume

  • 6

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1992-2248

abstract

  • Software development is a human centric and sociotechnical activity and like all human activities is influenced by cultural factors. However, software engineering is being further affected because of the globalization in software development. As a result, cultural diversity is influencing software development and its outcomes. The software engineering industry, a very intensive industry regarding human capital, is facing a new era in which software development personnel must adapt to multicultural work environments. Today, many organizations present a multicultural workforce which needs to be managed. This paper analyzes the influence of culture on mentoring relationships within the software engineering industry. Two interesting findings can be concluded from our study: (1) cultural differences affect both formal and informal mentoring, and (2) technical competences are not improved when implementing mentoring relationships.