A teamwork effectiveness model for agile software development

Abstract

Teamwork is crucial in software development, particularly in agile development teams which are cross-functional and where team members work intensively together to develop a cohesive software solution. Effective teamwork is not easy; prior studies indicate challenges with communication, learning, prioritization, and leadership. Nevertheless, there is much advice available for teams, from agile methods, practitioner literature, and general studies on teamwork to a growing body of empirical studies on teamwork in the specific context of agile software development. This article presents the agile teamwork effectiveness model (ATEM) for colocated agile development teams. The model is based on evidence from focus groups, case studies, and multi-vocal literature and is a revision of a general team effectiveness model. Our model of agile teamwork effectiveness is composed of shared leadership, team orientation, redundancy, adaptability, and peer feedback. Coordinating mechanisms are needed to facilitate these components. The coordinating mechanisms are shared mental models, communication, and mutual trust. We critically examine the model and discuss extensions for very small, multi-team, distributed, and safety-critical development contexts. The model is intended for researchers, team members, coaches, and leaders in the agile community.

Agile project management as a stage for creativity: a conceptual framework of five creativity-conducive spaces

“…learning-by-doing) enhances team creativity and the effect of learning persists over time. Moreover, Lyndon et al (2020) examined the association between shared leadership, where the leadership function is distributed among members of the team which is a phenomenon characteristic of teams working on agile-based projects (Strode et al, 2022) and team creativity and found team learning to fully mediate this relationship. Finally, team learning orientation and knowledge sourcing were both found to be positively and significantly related to the creativity of information software development project teams (Khedhaouria and Ribiere, 2013).…”

Do agile work practices impact team performance through project commitment? Evidence from the information technology industry

“…On the other hand, agile teamwork refers to the team's stand-up meetings and retrospective meetings that are essential for successfully implementing agile practices (Strode et al, 2022). Stand-up meetings are daily short meetings of the team to discuss new development in their tasks, hurdles that hamper team members from completing tasks, monitor the progress and discuss difficulties in their tasks (Singh and Strobel, 2022).…”

“…Previous research accentuated the investigation of the role of agile practices in teams (Karlsen et al, 2022). In particular, agile taskwork has been considerably identified as a predictor of team performance (Strode et al, 2022). Empirical studies in the IT industry show that agile taskwork can significantly impact team performance (Venkatesh et al, 2020;Malik et al, 2021).…”

“…On the other hand, agile teamwork emphasizes short meetings of teams to discuss new developments and challenges and monitor progress to ensure that the team is working toward a shared goal (Ciriello et al, 2022). Empirical evidence shows that agile teamwork can positively influence team performance (Strode et al, 2022). According to team effectiveness theory (Weisbord, 1985), effective teams have certain characteristics, such as clear goals, open communication, and a supportive team environment which can improve their overall effectiveness and performance.…”

When Technical Solutions aren’t Enough: Using Software Concepts to Analyse Challenges at Delivery Processes between Mixed-Signal IC Team Members

“…DevOps is an Agile approach for Software development, so it is considered to improve team communication, release speed and design flexibility [28], beside teamwork effectiveness [29]. The constant collaboration and the broader perspective of members instigate those teams to be selforganizing, one of Agile Manifesto's principles [30].…”