The Amount of Control in Offshore Software Development Projects: An Investigation of Twelve Projects

This paper investigates the amount of control, defined as the variety of mechanisms and their intensity of exercise in various offshore software development (OSD) projects. Using a comparative case study approach, we propose ten propositions refining the relationship between influencing factors and the amount of control. Our results confirm existing findings such as the positive relationship between project complexity/size and amount of control, but also contribute with new findings. For example, we were able to identify higher levels of control in strategic important projects and in captive offshore projects. Another finding is the positive relationship between the client or supplier project managers´ OSD experience and the introduction of various modes of control. Altogether, our empirical findings lead to a better understanding of the factors influencing the amount of control in OSD and can be seen as theoretical basis for developing a robust model to be tested using further quantitative research.