IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v8y2020i9p1553-d411485.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding the Interactions between the Scrum Master and the Development Team: A Game-Theoretic Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Tugba Karabiyik

    (Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, 401 N. Grant St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

  • Aparajita Jaiswal

    (Department of Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University, 401 N. Grant St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

  • Paul Thomas

    (Department of Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University, 401 N. Grant St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

  • Alejandra J. Magana

    (Department of Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University, 401 N. Grant St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA)

Abstract

Scrum methodology is widely used in the information technology (IT) industry for the purposes of team-based iterative software development. However, limited studies have been conducted to explore the nature of interactions between a Scrum Master and other team members and the effect of these interactions on team effectiveness. The aim of this study is to understand the interactions between the Scrum Master and other team members in an educational setting and propose and demonstrate an application of cooperative game theory for the same. Cooperative game theory can model scenarios where other team members can benefit from cooperating. Through the lens of the cooperative game-theoretic model, we investigated the strategies employed by the Scrum Master and other team members when involved in a semi-capstone IT project. Specifically, the study explored the team interaction between a Scrum Master and other team members at three different levels of team effectiveness: least effective, partially effective, and most effective. Our results indicate that a Scrum Master should be active to maximize their payoff as well as the teams’ overall payoff. Contrary to this, other team members should be active in the most and partially effective teams, while being passive in the least effective teams at higher costs of interpersonal relations and the processes. The results of the study represent a novel application of game-theoretic modeling for understanding the Scrum Master and other team member interactions. These results are applicable not just in an educational setting but also to the wider area of software development by identifying the right set of strategies by the Scrum Master, and other team members in order to help IT professionals to maximize their payoff.

Suggested Citation

  • Tugba Karabiyik & Aparajita Jaiswal & Paul Thomas & Alejandra J. Magana, 2020. "Understanding the Interactions between the Scrum Master and the Development Team: A Game-Theoretic Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:8:y:2020:i:9:p:1553-:d:411485
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/8/9/1553/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/8/9/1553/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rodica Branzei & Dinko Dimitrov & Stef Tijs, 2008. "Models in Cooperative Game Theory," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-3-540-77954-4, September.
    2. Roger A McCain, 2014. "Game Theory:A Nontechnical Introduction to the Analysis of Strategy," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number 9044, February.
    3. Menike Atapattu & Gayani Ranawake, 2017. "Transformational and Transactional Leadership Behaviours and their Effect on Knowledge Workers' Propensity for Knowledge Management Processes," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(03), pages 1-23, September.
    4. Frederik M. Fowler, 2019. "Navigating Hybrid Scrum Environments," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-1-4842-4164-6, September.
    5. Büyükboyacı, Mürüvvet & Robbett, Andrea, 2017. "Collaboration and free-riding in team contests," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 162-178.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lukáš Adam & Tomáš Kroupa, 2017. "The intermediate set and limiting superdifferential for coalitional games: between the core and the Weber set," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 46(4), pages 891-918, November.
    2. Rene (J.R.) van den Brink & Osman Palanci & S. Zeynep Alparslan Gok, 2017. "Interval Solutions for Tu-games," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 17-094/II, Tinbergen Institute.
    3. Ünsal Özdilek, 2020. "Land and building separation based on Shapley values," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Gerwald Gulick & Henk Norde, 2013. "Fuzzy cores and fuzzy balancedness," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 77(2), pages 131-146, April.
    5. Barış Bülent Kırlar & Serap Ergün & Sırma Zeynep Alparslan Gök & Gerhard-Wilhelm Weber, 2018. "A game-theoretical and cryptographical approach to crypto-cloud computing and its economical and financial aspects," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 260(1), pages 217-231, January.
    6. Alparslan-Gok, S.Z. & Miquel, S. & Tijs, S.H., 2008. "Cooperation under Interval Uncertainty," Other publications TiSEM 9a01bd57-964d-4e71-8508-7, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Alparslan-Gok, S.Z. & Brânzei, R. & Tijs, S.H., 2008. "Convex Interval Games," Other publications TiSEM d8704fc2-6edc-46cc-8330-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Brânzei, R. & Fragnelli, V. & Meca, A. & Tijs, S.H., 2006. "Two Classes of Cooperative Games Related to One-Object Auction Situations," Discussion Paper 2006-25, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    9. Rodica Branzei & Dinko Dimitrov & Stef Tijs, 2008. "Convex Games Versus Clan Games," International Game Theory Review (IGTR), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 10(04), pages 363-372.
    10. Michel Grabisch & Fabien Lange, 2007. "Games on lattices, multichoice games and the shapley value: a new approach," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 65(1), pages 153-167, February.
    11. Arshad Ali Javed & Patrick T.I. Lam & Albert P.C. Chan, 2014. "Change negotiation in public-private partnership projects through output specifications: an experimental approach based on game theory," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 323-348, April.
    12. Hattori, Keisuke & Yamada, Mai, 2023. "Closing the Psychological Distance: The Effect of Social Interactions on Team Performance," MPRA Paper 117042, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Liu, Jiuqiang & Liu, Xiaodong, 2013. "A necessary and sufficient condition for an NTU fuzzy game to have a non-empty fuzzy core," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 150-156.
    14. Monroy, L. & Hinojosa, M.A. & Mármol, A.M. & Fernández, F.R., 2013. "Set-valued cooperative games with fuzzy payoffs. The fuzzy assignment game," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 225(1), pages 85-90.
    15. Wang He & Min Liu & Chaowen Zuo & Kai Wang, 2023. "Massive Multi-Source Joint Outbound and Benefit Distribution Model Based on Cooperative Game," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-19, September.
    16. Michel Grabisch, 2013. "The core of games on ordered structures and graphs," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 204(1), pages 33-64, April.
    17. Mohammaditabar, Davood & Ghodsypour, Seyed Hassan & Hafezalkotob, Ashkan, 2016. "A game theoretic analysis in capacity-constrained supplier-selection and cooperation by considering the total supply chain inventory costs," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(PA), pages 87-97.
    18. Yaron Azrieli & Ehud Lehrer, 2007. "On some families of cooperative fuzzy games," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 36(1), pages 1-15, September.
    19. Jin-Gyeom Kim & Bowon Lee, 2020. "Automatic P2P Energy Trading Model Based on Reinforcement Learning Using Long Short-Term Delayed Reward," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-27, October.
    20. Fragnelli, V. & Llorca, N. & Sánchez-Soriano, J. & Tijs, S.H., 2006. "Convex Games with Countable Number of Players and Sequencing Situations," Discussion Paper 2006-119, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:8:y:2020:i:9:p:1553-:d:411485. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.