Exploring the impact of feedback on remote SW development teams

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

Information and Software Technology Pub Date : 2024-12-10 DOI:10.1016/j.infsof.2024.107649

Ana Beatriz Cavalcanti , Carina Alves , João Araújo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Context

Feedback is essential in the routine of software development teams. It provides information on professionals’ performance, align goals, and manage conflicts. The growing adoption of the remote work model has created new challenges for the effective use of feedback by organizations. Despite the recognized importance of feedback, few studies focused on understanding how feedback practices are currently conducted in remote software development teams.

Objective

This work aims to explore the impact of feedback on software development teams working remotely. In addition, we aim to provide valuable insights on how teams can optimize the outcomes of feedback practices.

Method

We adopted a mixed-method approach to investigate how feedback practices are conducted in remote software development teams. We performed a multivocal literature review to map the benefits, challenges, and good practices mentioned in the literature. Then, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 leaders and managers to understand their perceptions about feedback practices. Finally, we surveyed 83 team members to understand their perceptions and feelings about receiving feedback.

Results

We found out that the key benefits of feedback include a boost in individual engagement and team performance. In contrast, common challenges involved in remote feedback are communication gaps due to the adoption of digital channels and difficulty in providing and receiving negative feedback. Finally, our study proposes good practices to improve the feedback outcomes, such as: using multidimensional indicators to evaluate team members, providing a tangible goal-oriented development plan, and adopting continuous feedback follow-up.

Conclusion

We synthesized evidence from multiple sources by adopting three research methods to understand the effects of feedback on remote software development teams. Finally, we provided a set of actionable insights on how to optimize the feedback on remote software development teams.

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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.