Consequences of Project Team Member Turnover for agile Information Systems Development Teams: A Multiple Case Study

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Wiesche, Manuel; Nguyen, Mai

Abstract: Turnover of IT professionals has been at the center of IT workforce research, m ... Expand

Abstract: Turnover of IT professionals has been at the center of IT workforce research, mainly focusing on individual level drivers and consequences. This paper explores how turnover events affect the dynamics of agile software development (ISD) teams. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews in seven cases to understand team-level consequences of turnover events. We found that ISD teams who directly or indirectly experienced turnover events are confronted with the following four consequences on the group level: (1) group dynamics shift, leading to (2) interpersonal voids, and (3) voids of expertise which consequently leads to (4) rebalancing resources. Through our work, we contribute to a better understanding of how coping processes that start after collective turnover occurs in agile ISD teams are shaped at the group level. Collapse

Topics: agile software development IT workforce Scrum IT personell turnover project management

Methods: qualitative interview design methodology case study qualitative coding personal interview

Theories: theory of shared mental models

Sprint Zeal or Sprint Fatigue? The Benefits and Burdens of Agile ISD Practices Use for Developer Well-Being

2022 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Benlian, Alexander

Abstract: Despite the predominant view in the agile information systems development (ISD) ... Expand

Abstract: Despite the predominant view in the agile information systems development (ISD) literature that agile information systems development practices use (AISDPU) has positive ramifications for ISD teams and projects, previous research has paid considerably less attention to whether and how these practices can be simultaneously beneficial and burdensome to individual developers. In addition, much of our knowledge on AISDPU and its effects relies on research into the differences between developers over an extended period of time. Yet, agile ISD practices are typically used on a day-to-day basis and can thus be viewed as an inherently within-person phenomenon, pointing to the need for daily investigations that provide a closer look at the immediate, lived experiences of developers. Drawing on the holistic stress process model, we develop the idea that daily AISDPU can be a source of stressful situational demands with both energizing and depleting effects that may thus help or harm developer well-being. In an experience-sampling study of 131 developers who responded to daily surveys spread over 10 workdays, we show that AISDPU can indeed be a double-edged sword: instrumental to developers’ energy resources (by increasing work engagement) on some days yet detrimental to their energy resources (by increasing depletion) on others—two forces with opposing effects on developer well-being. Importantly, we find that the divergent effects of AISDPU critically hinge on whether developers appraise it as a challenge or a threat. As a potential antidote, we investigate the moderating role of information technology (IT) mindfulness in developers’ appraisal processes. Our results show that IT mindfulness serves as a facilitator of challenge appraisals and as a buffer against threat appraisals. More broadly, this study challenges the predominant view of AISDPU as an inherently good thing and offers meaningful insights into why and when AISDPU improves versus impairs developer well-being. Collapse

Topics: mindfulness agile software development systems development missing data electronic mail

Methods: survey theory development experience sampling longitudinal research design methodology

How Do Individual Social Agile Practices Influence the Development Success? An Exploratory Study

2022 | International Conference on Business Informatics | Citations: 0

Authors: Meckenstock, Jan-Niklas; Schlauderer, Sebastian; Overhage, Sven

Abstract: Although agile software development (ASD) is widespread, the contributions of in ... Expand

Abstract: Although agile software development (ASD) is widespread, the contributions of individual agile practices to development success are still largely unclear. In this paper, we explore the hidden cause-effect relationships between the application of social agile practices, the realization of social agile principles, and the resulting contribution(s) to ASD success. To capture ASD success, we consider both the effects on developer acceptance and economic business values. Based on an initial ASD success model and data from a survey of 197 developers, we found that social agile practices such as reflection, business IT alignment, and self-organization seem to particularly promote ASD success. We also found indications that the realization of these principles is primarily driven by practices such as retrospective meetings and shared leadership, whereas prominent practices like daily meetings and pair programming seem to have no effect. Our results thus call for reassessment of agile practices and their use in practice. Collapse

Topics: agile software development organizational value productivity pair programming IT alignment

Methods: survey design methodology regression analysis method exploratory data analysis survey design

Facilitating Online Learning via Zoom Breakout Room Technology : A Case of Pair Programming Involving Students with Learning Disabilities

2021 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Li, Ling; Xu, Li Da; He, Yuming; He, Wu; Pribesh, Shana; Watson, Silvana; Major, Debra

Abstract: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has required many educators ... Expand

Abstract: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has required many educators to redesign how they deliver their courses. In this study, we develop innovative procedures and pedagogy to teach pair programming via Zoom breakout rooms in a cloud environment. We report six fundamental innovative teaching mechanisms and procedures: 1) strategically planning a course, 2) effectively managing teaching resources, 3) enhancing faculty responsiveness, 4) selecting reliable technology, 5) mandating online educator's training, and 6) accommodating students with learning disabilities. From teaching pair programming via Zoom breakout rooms, we have gained valuable experience in promoting collaborative, engaging, active, and problem-based learning activities in a cloud environment. Our results enrich our knowledge of delivering online education and contribute to pair programming literature in general.Ling Li is the Chair of the Department of Information Technology and Decision Sciences at Old Dominion University, USA. She is eminent scholar and university professor. She has published over 140 peerrefereed research papers in high-quality journals. Her research is motivated by theoretical and practical explanations of how organizations can best deploy their technology and supply chain strategies for competitive advantage. She serves as area editor, associate editor and editorial board member of several journals. systems. She examines systems of inequality for students at-risk; namely those who live in poverty, make residential moves, have disabilities, attend schools with fewer resources, take developmental education courses and live in less traditional family structures. Recently she has been engaged in research that spans multiple countries to determine if patterns stemming from systems of inequality are similar in varying contexts.Silvana M. R. Watson is a professor of special education at Old Dominion University. Her research interests focus on 1) promoting evidence-based practices for students with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, and English learners with and without disabilities; 2) teacher preparation; and 3) examining the nature of students' learning difficulties. Her has disseminated her work through presentations at international, national, and state professional conferences, peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, other academic publications, and consultations with educational agencies. She is one of the co-PIs of the National Science Foundation's grant awarded to Old Dominion to support the investigation of pair programming as a teaching method to support undergraduate students with learning disabilities taking instructional technology courses. She has been awarded a large grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition, to assess and instruct English learners with and without disabilities. Debra A. Major is a professor and eminent scholar in the College of Sciences at Old Dominion University, USA. Her professional specialty is industrial/organizational psychology. Her research focuses on barriers encountered by women and ethnic minorities pursuing educational and career pathways in STEM. She is especially interested in improving persistence and recently developed and validated instruments for assessing students' embeddedness in STEM majors and the broader university. Collapse

Topics: pair programming video conference cloud computing online learning system Visual Basic

Methods: design methodology survey

The Multiplex Nature of the Customer Representative Role in Agile Information Systems Development

2020 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 47

Authors: Maruping, Likoebe M.; Matook, Sabine

Abstract: It is well acknowledged that close collaboration with the customer serves as the ... Expand

Abstract: It is well acknowledged that close collaboration with the customer serves as the lynchpin to ensuring that agile information systems development (ISD) teams produce the right software within mutually agreed targets. In several agile ISD methods, this emphasis on close collaboration is enacted through the role of a designated customer representative (CR). The agile ISD literature has recognized the behaviors in this role to be inherently complementary and contradicting in nature, presenting a challenge to whoever occupies the role and hampering their ability to add value to the project. How do CRs manage these challenges and why do they do so in a particular manner? Unfortunately, there has been little theory to answer these questions. In this research, we explore and theorize about this phenomenon by leveraging role multiplexity as a theoretical lens in making sense of the behavior of CRs in agile ISD. Results suggest that the CR role is multiplex, exhibiting multiple manifestations with different orientations. We develop a theoretical model that articulates the instantiation of these role manifestations and the mechanisms that enable the CR role to remain intact while managing these challenges. The theoretical model highlights the CR role in agile ISD as being dynamic and multi-oriented. Collapse

Topics: IT workforce agile software development cloud computing pair programming Scrum

Methods: theory development case study design methodology qualitative interview triangulation

Theories: role theory game theory

How agile software development methods reduce work exhaustion: Insights on role perceptions and organizational skills

2020 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 62

Authors: Venkatesh, Viswanath; Thong, James Y. L.; Chan, Frank K. Y.; Hoehle, Hartmut; Spohrer, Kai

Abstract: Agile methods are widely used in the software industry as a way to more rapidly ... Expand

Abstract: Agile methods are widely used in the software industry as a way to more rapidly develop and deliver new software. They define iterative work processes, advocate self-organization and openness for change, and prescribe how software developers interact with each other and external stakeholders. Despite their popularity, it is unclear how agile methods influence work exhaustion in software developers and how developer skills play into this effect. On the one hand, agile methods may reduce software developers' work exhaustion by levelling out their workload across the entire duration of a project. On the other hand, agile methods exert a high level of pressure on software developers to continuously deliver working software, create many intensive social interactions, and to frequently adapt to changes. In light of these effects, prior research could not explain why some software developers become less exhausted from using agile methods, whereas others perceive the exact opposite. Based on the job demand-control model, we develop a theoretical model connecting agile method use to individual developer skills and to two established determinants of employee exhaustion: role conflict and role ambiguity. We tested our research model in a field study among 1894 software developers in 217 project teams that used agile methods. The random coefficient modelling results show that agile method use facilitates the achievement of clear and unambiguous role perceptions and thereby reduces work exhaustion in developers, particularly if developers possess the organizational skills to effectively interact with others in their organization. We highlight implications for theory on the individual-level effects of software development methods and provide practical insights for software companies. Collapse

Topics: agile software development software developer system development method systems development project productivity

Methods: design methodology field study theory development mediation analysis instrumental variables estimation

Agile Development in Practice: Lessons from the Trenches

2019 | Information Systems Management | Citations: 9

Authors: Cram, W. Alec

Abstract: In the twenty years since the agile approach to systems development was introduc ... Expand

Abstract: In the twenty years since the agile approach to systems development was introduced, a wide range of organizations have adopted its principles. Despite numerous reports that highlight agile success stories, there are relatively few recent publications that provide practical guidance on the potential pitfalls and areas of risk related to agile. In response, this practice-oriented paper draws on 56 practitioner interviews to identify a series of “lessons learned” pertaining to agile adoption, tailoring, and use. Collapse

Topics: agile software development organizational culture system development method information system use problem solving

Methods: design methodology qualitative interview

Theories: work systems theory

Journey towards agility

2019 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Dreesen, Tim; Binzer, Björn; Diegmann, Phil; Rosenkranz, Christoph

Abstract: After more than 15 years since the Agile Manifesto and extensive research on agi ... Expand

Abstract: After more than 15 years since the Agile Manifesto and extensive research on agile software development (ASD) for nearly three decades, a comprehensive body of knowledge is available and is constantly growing. ASD is considered an effective way for managing software development projects in environments characterized by rapidly changing requirements. This study aims to shed light on the existing knowledge on ASD by applying a structured literature review and computer aided analysis consisting of distinct text mining techniques. We analyzed a sample of 1,376 papers and provide results from articles among relevant information systems research as well as computer science conferences and journals. Based on our approach, we are able to (1) evaluate key articles and journals, (2) analyze the development of ASD research in the last three decades and, most importantly, (3) identify research foci of the past as well as gaps in our knowledge on ASD. Collapse

Topics: agile software development information technology capability requirements analysis pair programming problem solving

Methods: topic model design methodology literature study literature sample structured literature research

Control Portfolio Adaptation in Scrum: Initial Findings from a Practitioner Survey

2019 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Fischer, Thomas; Hevner, Alan; Riedl, René

Abstract: Software development processes are defined by control practices such as daily st ... Expand

Abstract: Software development processes are defined by control practices such as daily stand-ups or burndown charts. Although previous research has thoroughly investigated the antecedents of control selection and the consequences of control enactment, there is a lack of research into the dynamic changes that are made to a control portfolio throughout a project's life cycle. In preparation for a large, future field study, we conducted (i) a literature review to create a list of practices that are common in Scrum pro-jects and (ii) a survey with selected interviews of 16 Scrum practitioners. Our goals are to investigate whether these agile control practices are used, and if so, how intensively, and whether their use changes over a project’s life cycle (i.e., whether they are used throughout the entire project, and added or removed during the project). We find initial evidence for elements in the project environment, project outcomes, and experiences with control mechanisms to be main triggers of change to a control portfolio. Further, we identify different modes of adaptations (e.g., control portfolio adaptation vs practice modification). Based on these findings we propose a research model and an outline for our future longitudinal field study. Collapse

Topics: Scrum test-driven development pair programming project productivity co-located work

Methods: design methodology survey literature sample longitudinal research field study

Relationships between IT department culture and agile software development practices: An empirical investigation

2019 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 14

Authors: Gupta, Manjul; George, Joey F.; Xia, Weidong

Abstract: IT department culture has been widely recognized as an important factor that infl ... Expand

Abstract: IT department culture has been widely recognized as an important factor that influences the adoption of agile practices. Yet, the research pertaining to the relationship between IT department culture and agile practices usage remains underexplored. This study proposes and tests the relationships between four competing cultural forms and two types of agile practices - social and technical. The findings contribute to the extant literature by integrating the competing values model of culture into the literature on factors affecting agile development at the IT department level. Collapse

Topics: agile software development pair programming unit testing LinkedIn IT manager

Methods: design methodology psychometrics survey Q methodology data transformation