Human Resource Related Problems in Agile and Traditional Software Project Process Models

This paper explores the impacts associated with different software process models on the staff. The main research question addressed is whether any process model leads to a higher satisfaction of staff, and less human resource related problems, including staff turnover or increased stress levels. This issue is empirically investigated using a set of projects from 15 different software developing companies. Agile-oriented models are not necessarily limited to small projects, but both groups showed nearly identical distributions for team size and duration. Interestingly, rigid-type models tend to exhibit higher effort estimations, and lower correctness in these estimations. Also customer satisfaction is slightly lower. With regard to human resource issues, the differences are not major overall, but there are some noticeable exceptions. In general, satisfaction and acceptance are higher at lower stress and overtime levels for agile-type project participants, but, interestingly and contrary to theory, people wish for more responsibility. Agile-type projects also enjoy some advantages in information sharing and communication, and in some quality aspects. Rigid-type projects show considerable higher abilities to cope with absence of personnel.