Synthesis of a Leadership Model for DevOps Adoption

The first decade of DevOps-orientation in software-intensive organizational environments is often characterized with an emerging set of skills that support DevOps practice adoption, targeting a cross-functional collaborative culture; with an aim of achieving a shift in mindset, skillset, and toolset. We investigate DevOps adoption constructs to facilitate development of a formative measurement model to support leadership throughout the DevOps transitional journey. The model and its constructs are designed and validated with a multi-method approach. Initially an exploratory study of a survey is conducted with 250 respondents 76% of whom possess leadership roles, 93% work in Europe and Middle East, and two-thirds are practicing as DevOps practitioners. Pertinent model indicators are produced and grouped under constructs based on survey results and validated using PLS-SEM. The formative structural model is presented and validated in three separate focus group sessions, comprising of respectively seven (7), five (5), and seven (7) participants all of whom had held leadership positions; from countries including USA, UK, The Netherlands, UAE, Greece, Georgia, Switzerland. Seventeen (17) focus group participants provided additional responses through a focus group in-session survey, which allowed feedback on specific model constructs. Results indicate that a set of practices, a set of skills, a set of metrics, DevOps adoption planning and the existence of the DevOps adoption leader roles, should be part of organizational aspirations in the definition of leadership in a DevOps transition path.