[Reading] Sawyer: Software Development Teams

There are two major aspects in software development as per my understanding from the article: social aspects and technical aspects, both being important. There are 3 models (referred to as 'archetypes' here) in software development which can be defined using both social and technical aspects in various proportions:

1. Sequence - a linear, task-driven, structured effort. Social structure set in host organisation's administrative scheme, hierarchical, role-based and formalised. one person can be replaced by another person with same functional level of skill. for example, Waterfall model in SDLC

2. Group - process-to-product orientation, based on predefined tasks. Social structures are based on collaboration and not task driven entirely. Software development and production are intimately linked. Boundary between team and social context is permeable. For example, spiral approach in software development.

3. Network - central focus in network archetype is product. The production processes are secondary. The strength of network ties developed by participants reflect the frequency and value dervied from the interaction. And the network is not mapped to organisational or geographic boundary. People's connections and the tasks they perform define the process. Key people serve as nodes of the network, and replacing them will be difficult task. Software development tools provide support/interconnection for the network. For example, chief programmer team model of software development.

Hybrid Models

The practicing software development teams are a hybrid social structure, consisting of several archetypes. The main features that can be extensively used with this model are:

1. importance of aligning a software development team's tasks, production methods, and computing technologies.

2. focusing on the tasks, methods and technologies leads to increased attention to social and behavioral aspects of software development.

3. social network among developers being of high importance here suggests need to deveop network-sensitive tools and methods.

Reference:

Sawyer, Steve. Software Development teams.