Measuring the effect of conflict on software engineering teams

摘要

This project involved carrying out a detailed study of three SE teams and recording their conflict experiences. Because of the nature of the study, one outcome was a fascinating insider's view of how members of SE teams initiate, behave during, and resolve conflict episodes. By observing and inquiring about the research subjects' normal activities throughout their specific projects, the researchers were able to gain an empathic and realistic understanding of this particular social scene. The use of observational methods allowed one to trace conflicts from their inception to their conclusion and to see firsthand the effects of different forms of conflict. The conflict template that was created to capture data for this study allowed the researcher to collect the data in a consistent and reliable way. The template allowed the recording of interactions: who spoke to whom, how they spoke (e.g., opinion giving or asking for an opinion), the form of conflict, whether it mutated, and how it was resolved. It also provided space for a detailed description of the events that were taking place. The interactions were recorded, even if they progressed in a nonlinear manner. It is hoped that this way of recording and analyzing conflict episodes in teams will encourage other researchers to use and perhaps expand the template used during this study. If using this template will lead to a greater understanding of how conflict can either help a team to grow or destroy it from within, then it will serve an important purpose for the wider SE community, since team members must be able to work together effectively in order to maximize their potential.