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Supporting Joint Idea Generation with Software Prototypes in Offshore-Outsourced Software Development Projects

Joint idea generation is vital in software development projects requiring team members with different knowledge specializations to exchange and integrate multiple perspectives into ideas to improve the software product. While joint idea generation is generally difficult to achieve, it is even more challenging in offshore-outsourced settings. Our goal was to understand the process of how software prototypes can support joint idea generation over the life of a 16 month offshore-outsourced software development project. Based on an in-depth, ethnographic case study, we reveal three joint idea generation modes building on and stimulating each other: from diverging, to exploring and advancing. These joint idea generation modes were closely interwoven with the software prototype. We find that as the software prototype evolved, new possibilities for engaging in various joint idea generation modes emerged. Our research has important implications for literature and practice.