Cross-cultural differences and information systems developer values

Abstract

The increasingly global nature of software development and the increasing diversity in the information systems (IS) workforce have led to failures arising from inadequate understanding of cultural influences on IS design and development. This study aims to examine the relationship between the cultural background and development values of IS developers through a field survey in Singapore and the United States. The relationship between two cultural dimensions (individualism–collectivism and masculinity–femininity) and three development values (technical, economic, and socio-political) of IS developers were investigated. A model relating cultural dimensions to development values was formulated. The findings indicate that both individualism–collectivism and masculinity–femininity are related to the technical, economic, and socio-political values of IS developers (including DSS developers). Implications for further research and practice are discussed.