Improving DevOps team performance through context-capability coalignment: Towards a profile for public sector organizations

IF 3.8 2区计算机科学 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Information and Software Technology Pub Date : 2024-09-18 DOI:10.1016/j.infsof.2024.107585

Olivia H. Plant , Adina Aldea , Jos van Hillegersberg

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Context

Many IT organizations turn to agile software delivery approaches such as DevOps in order to reduce the number of IT projects that are running behind schedule and above budget. However, the DevOps paradigm calls for an increased set of capabilities that need to be built and aligned with their context in order to ensure superior team performance.

Objective

This research aims to develop a context-capability coalignment profile for DevOps teams in public organizations. This profile and the corresponding design approach may serve as a model for other software production teams seeking to enhance their performance through improved coalignment. The resulting set of design principles places the traditional information systems theories of dynamic capabilities and contingency theory in a modern context.

Method

We adopt a longitudinal action design research approach centered around a DevOps team working in the IT department of a Dutch public organization. A mixed method design including scientific questionnaires, workshops, expert opinions and semi-structured interviews is employed to build and evaluate the profile.

Results

The resulting profile is characterized by technological complexity, a highly regulated environment, departmental interdependencies and high system relevance. The evaluation phase supports the validity of the artifact and suggests moderately improved coalignment of context and team capabilities after the research period, as well as a positive influence of coalignment on team performance.

Conclusion

It is contended that software teams in public organizations can benefit from improved coalignment between context and DevOps capabilities by following the presented approach. We argue that it is important to create a profile which is internally consistent and views coalignment as a continuous process in order to maximize the positive effect on team performance.

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通过情境-能力联合提高 DevOps 团队绩效：为公共部门组织制定简介

背景许多 IT 组织都转而采用 DevOps 等敏捷软件交付方法，以减少落后于计划和超出预算的 IT 项目数量。然而，DevOps 模式需要更多的能力，这些能力需要建立并与上下文保持一致，以确保团队的卓越绩效。该简介和相应的设计方法可作为其他软件生产团队的范例，帮助他们通过改善联合来提高绩效。我们采用了一种纵向行动设计研究方法，该方法以荷兰一家公共机构 IT 部门的 DevOps 团队为中心。我们采用了混合方法设计，包括科学调查问卷、研讨会、专家意见和半结构式访谈，以建立和评估该概况。结果该概况具有技术复杂性、高度管制环境、部门相互依存性和高度系统相关性等特点。评估阶段证明了该工具的有效性，并表明在研究期结束后，环境与团队能力之间的协调得到了适度改善，而且协调对团队绩效产生了积极影响。结论我们认为，公共组织中的软件团队可以通过采用所介绍的方法，从环境与 DevOps 能力之间的协调改善中获益。我们认为，为了最大限度地提高团队绩效的积极影响，必须创建一个内部一致的配置文件，并将联合视为一个持续的过程。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Information and Software Technology 工程技术-计算机：软件工程

CiteScore

9.10

自引率

7.70%

发文量

164

审稿时长

9.6 weeks

期刊介绍： Information and Software Technology is the international archival journal focusing on research and experience that contributes to the improvement of software development practices. The journal''s scope includes methods and techniques to better engineer software and manage its development. Articles submitted for review should have a clear component of software engineering or address ways to improve the engineering and management of software development. Areas covered by the journal include: • Software management, quality and metrics, • Software processes, • Software architecture, modelling, specification, design and programming • Functional and non-functional software requirements • Software testing and verification & validation • Empirical studies of all aspects of engineering and managing software development Short Communications is a new section dedicated to short papers addressing new ideas, controversial opinions, "Negative" results and much more. Read the Guide for authors for more information. The journal encourages and welcomes submissions of systematic literature studies (reviews and maps) within the scope of the journal. Information and Software Technology is the premiere outlet for systematic literature studies in software engineering.