Shahla Ghobadi's research on digital development examines how developers and their organisations can yield innovative products and services that enhance user experience and satisfaction.
This work began with the notion of coopetitive knowledge sharing in cross-functional software project teams. It required original measurement instruments and models (Ghobadi, 2015; Ghobadi & D'Ambra, 2011, 2013).
This research was extended to agile development and pair programming (Ghobadi et al. 2015) and the role theory illuminating how project managers, developers, testers, and user representatives interpret knowledge-sharing differently (Ghobadi & Mathiassen, 2015). A theory-driven risk management framework for agile environments enabled assessment and mitigation of knowledge-sharing risks (Ghobadi & Mathiassen, 2016).
We later contributed a generational diversity model for development teams, explaining how early adopters of social networking bring novel product expectations and enhanced social impact (Ghobadi & Mathiassen, 2020).
Crowdfunding application by software developers was studied through longitudinal, multi-case studies to examine resource adversity and its strategic role in fostering innovative development outcomes (Ghobadi & Mathiassen, 2023). This work continued with a novel understanding of underexplored post-release challenges, including unrealistic user expectations and ethical dilemmas stemming from developers' signalling during crowdfunding (Ghobadi, 2023).
This stream is currently being extended to novel software company mechanisms for leveraging user participation utilizing a sensemaking lens (Ghobadi & Lyytinen, 2025). This work theorizes a co-evolutionary model of user participation and innovation to reshape product strategy, firm capability, and the nature of participation itself.
Ghobadi, S., Strategy and Innovation by Pixar and Disney. In, Clegg et al. (eds), Strategy: Theory and Practice, London, SAGE Publications Ltd., 2014, 56-60.
Ghobadi, S., Mathiassen, L. (2024). Developers' decision to navigate resource adversity in crowdfunded digital development projects. Decision Support Systems, 177 (1), 114083.
Ghobadi, S. 2023, Communication of Post-Release Plans in Crowdfunding Development Initiatives: A Signaling Perspective, International Journal of Information Management, 69 (1), 102592.
Ghobadi, S., Mathiassen, L. (2020). A generational perspective on the software workforce: precocious users of social networking in software development. Journal of Management Information Systems, 37 (1), 96-128.
Ghobadi, S., Mathiassen, L. 2017, Risks to Effective Knowledge Sharing in Agile Software Teams: A Model for Assessing and Mitigating Risks, Information Systems Journal, 27 (6), 699-731.
Ghobadi, S., Campbell, J., Clegg, S. 2017. Pair programming teams and high-quality knowledge sharing: A comparative study of coopetitive reward structures. Information Systems Frontiers, 19 (1), 397-409.
Ghobadi, S., Mathiassen, L. 2016. Perceived barriers to effective knowledge sharing in agile software teams. Information Systems Journal, 26 (2), 95-125.
Ghobadi, S. 2015, What Drives Knowledge Sharing in Software Project Teams: A Review and Classification Framework, Information & Management, 52 (1), 82-97.
Ghobadi, S., D’Ambra, J. 2012. Modelling High-Quality Knowledge Sharing in Cross-Functional Software Development Teams, Information Processing & Management, 49 (1), 138-157.
Ghobadi, S., D’Ambra, J. 2012. Coopetitive Relationships in Cross-Functional Software Development Teams: How to Model and Measure, Journal of Systems and Software, 85 (5), 1096–1104.
Ghobadi, S., D’Ambra, J. 2012. Knowledge Sharing in Cross-Functional Teams: A Coopetitve Model, Journal of Knowledge Management, 16 (2), 285-301.
Ghobadi, S. 2011. Challenges of Cross-Functional Software Development Teams: A Conceptual Study, Journal of Information Technology Management, XXII (3), 26-35.
Ghobadi, S., D’Ambra, J. 2011. Coopetitive Knowledge Sharing: An Analytical Review of Literature, Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 9 (4), 307-317.
Ghobadi, S., Daneshgar, F. 2010. A Conceptual Model for Managing Incompatible Impacts of Organizational Structures on Awareness Levels, Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 8 (3), 254-264.
Yalina, N, Graham, G, Ghobadi, S. 2023. Barriers, Challenges, and Benefits: Gender Diversity in Technology-Based New Venture Team Innovation, Proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Ghobadi. S. 2020. Crowdfunding and Game Development, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Hawaii (Best paper track award nomination).
Ghobadi. S., Rai, A. 2017. Business Model Change in Software Industry, Academy of Management Meeting, Atlanta, United States.
Ghobadi. S. 2014. Digital Diversity in Software Development Companies: Is This for Real? International Conference on Information Systems, Auckland, New Zealand
Rana, N.P., Dwivedi, Y.K., Ghobadi, S., Piercy, N.C., Williams, M.D. 2014. Assessing Adoption of Online PAN Card Registration System (OPCRS): An Indian e-Government System Perspective, America Conference on Information Systems, Savannah, Georgia, United States
Smith, S., Gil, A., Hassan, H., Ghobadi, S. 2013. An Enterprise Architecture Driven Approach to Virtualization, Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, Jeju Island, Korea
Ghobadi, S., Campbell. J. 2012. How Coopetitive Reward Structures are Different in Determining Information Sharing Behaviors, America Conference on Information Systems, Seattle, United States
Ghobadi, S., D’Ambra, J. 2011. Information Sharing Under Mixed Cooperative and Competitive Reward Structures, Australian Conference on Information Systems, Sydney, Australia
Ghobadi, S., Daneshgar, F., Low, G. 2010. A Model of Cross-Functional Coopetition in Software Development Project Teams, International Conference on BIS, Berlin, Germany, Vol. 47, Springer, LNMIP
Ghobadi, S. 2009. Cross-functional Coopetition within Software Development Projects, Doctoral Consortium, ACIS, Melbourne, Australia
Ghobadi, S., Daneshgar, F. 2009. Investigating the Incompatible Impacts of Organizational Values in Knowledge Sharing, European Conference on Knowledge Management, Vicenza, Italy
Ghobadi, S. 2007. Dynamic Interaction of Typical Errors in Organizational Development Process, Latin American System Dynamics Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ghobadi, S. 2007. Contribution of System Thinking in Sales Systems Management, Latin American System Dynamics Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina