Viktoria Stray

• Stray, Viktoria; Berntzen, Marthe Nordengen & Moe, Nils Brede (2026). Large-scale agile software development and coordination: A teaching case. Journal of Systems and Software. ISSN 0164-1212. 243. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2026.113102. Full text in Research Archive
• Andersen, Nina Haugland; Moe, Nils Brede; Barbala, Astri Moksnes; Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Kilit, Cansu & Fidan, Hatice [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). From Tensions to Solutions: Managing Paradoxes in Large-Scale Agile. In Goldman, Alfredo; Marczak, Sabrina; Tonin, Graziela Simone; Bassi, Dairton; Silva, Tiago Silva da; Schön, Eva-Maria; Neumann, Michael & Pinna, Andrea (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 27th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2026, São Paulo, Brazil, April 8–11, 2026, Proceedings. Springer. ISSN 9783032223753. p. 56–72. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-22375-3_4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Agile at scale introduces persistent tensions as organizations attempt to balance autonomy, coordination, and control across teams and layers. Some tensions are paradoxes, which are persistent contradictions in which both sides matter. Drawing on a qualitative case study of MarketCorp, a multinational marketplace company, we explore how paradoxes manifest in a large-scale agile context and how leaders respond. Interviews with 15 top managers and reflective conversations with 60 employees reveal three paradoxes: centralization vs. autonomy, internal vs. external focus, and product vs. project approaches. We explored two approaches for designing facilitated dialogue around paradoxes in leadership teams. The study highlights the importance of recognizing, normalizing, and collaboratively managing paradoxes and offers practical guidance for large-scale agile organizations, demonstrating that paradoxes can provide a valuable focus for continuous improvement and strengthen agile learning practices.

• Barbala, Astri Moksnes; Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Moe, Nils Brede; Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud & Stray, Viktoria (2026). Facilitating flourishing: Exploring the role of action research in digital innovation. In Bui, Tung (Eds.), Proceedings of the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Hyatt Regency Maui, January 6-9, 2026. University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISSN 9780998133195. p. 6052–6061. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2026.716. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents findings from a four-year longitudinal action research collaboration on digital innovation with a large maritime company. At the core of this collaboration is a recurring hackathon event, where researchers introduced an idea-refining “innovation game” to engage participants in developing new ideas, particularly around AI initiatives. Drawing on interviews, observations, and participant reflections, we examine how researcher-led collaborative processes that incorporate game elements create conditions for serendipitous moments of unexpected discovery, which in turn foster innovation and positive affects. We argue that such moments, when materialized and cultivated through active researcher involvement, contribute to employee flourishing over time. The study demonstrates how researchers, by aligning with organizational values, goals, and challenges, can shape digital innovation practices that facilitate flourishing.

• Stol, Klaas Jan; Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud (2026). Onboarding Software Professionals in a Hybrid World. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. ISSN 0098-5589. doi: 10.1109/TSE.2026.3694572. Full text in Research Archive
• Smite, Darja; Moe, Nils Brede; Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Stray, Viktoria; Opland, Leif Erik & Tkalich, Anastasiia (2026). Hackathons that Work: Driving Engagement in Corporate Innovation Events. IEEE Software. ISSN 0740-7459. doi: 10.1109/MS.2026.3675649. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria; Brandtzæg, Elias Goldmann; Wivestad, Viggo Tellefsen; Barbala, Astri Moksnes & Moe, Nils Brede (2026). Developer Productivity With and Without GitHub Copilot: A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Case Study. In Bui, Tung (Eds.), Proceedings of the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Hyatt Regency Maui, January 6-9, 2026. University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISSN 9780998133195. p. 7413–7422. doi: https:/hdl.handle.net/10125/112286. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigates the real-world impact of the generative AI (GenAI) tool GitHub Copilot on developer activity and perceived productivity. We conducted a mixed-methods case study in NAV IT, a large public sector agile organization. We analyzed 26,317 unique non-merge commits from 703 of NAV IT's GitHub repositories over a two-year period, focusing on commit-based activity metrics from 25 Copilot users and 14 non-users. The analysis was complemented by survey responses on their roles and perceived productivity, as well as 13 interviews. Our analysis of activity metrics revealed that individuals who used Copilot were consistently more active than non-users, even prior to Copilot’s introduction. We did not find any statistically significant changes in commit-based activity for Copilot users after they adopted the tool, although minor increases were observed. This suggests a discrepancy between changes in commit-based metrics and the subjective experience of productivity.

• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Semsøy, Susanne (2025). Hybrid Meetings in Agile Software Development. In Peter, Sybille (Eds.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 26th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2025, Brugg-Windisch, Switzerland, June 2–5, 2025, Proceedings | SpringerLink. Springer. ISSN 9783031945441. p. 71–80. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-72781-8_8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hybrid meetings, which combine in-person and virtual participants, are becoming increasingly common in modern agile workplaces. Despite their prevalence, these meetings often lead to asymmetric participation. In this study, we explored the nature of participation asymmetries in hybrid meetings and identified the technical and social factors contributing to these disparities. We analyzed anonymized access card data, observed hybrid meetings, and conducted interviews with employees in a large-scale Norwegian software development organization. Our findings reveal that the employees preferred to go to the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In hybrid meetings, we found reduced engagement from virtual participants compared to those co-located at the office, especially in the absence of a clear speaking order. Social-driven asymmetries included difficulties in entering conversations, missing remarks and non-verbal cues, and being left out of pre- and post-meeting discussions. Physical presence in meetings was found to be crucial for newly onboarded team members. Future research should investigate what fosters inclusive meeting practices to improve engagement and collaboration in hybrid work environments.

• Barbala, Astri Moksnes; Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Stray, Viktoria & Wivestad, Viggo Tellefsen (2025). Generative AI in the Workplace: Affective Affordances and Employee Flourishing. In Bui, Tung (Eds.), Proceedings of the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Hilton Waikoloa Village, January 7-10, 2025. University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISSN 9780998133188. p. 6015–6024. doi: 10.24251/hicss.2025.720. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  With the advent of Generative AI (GenAI) and its application in various industries, research has begun showing how this new technology might impact aspects such as teamwork, perceived productivity and the nature of work tasks. However, there is still a lack of studies investigating the emotional dimensions of GenAI use, emphasizing the affective experiences materializing from employing such tools. This study explores the potential of GenAI tools to enhance employee flourishing in a workplace context. By building on interviews with 30 individuals across four tech-intensive companies we investigate how these tools not only provide new possibilities for work practices but also elicit positive affective experiences among users. Drawing on affect studies and affordance theory, this paper suggests that GenAI’s serendipitous nature and ability to streamline mundane tasks not only can enhance operational capabilities but also inspire a dynamic interplay of anticipation and excitement. Our findings point to that the integration of GenAI introduces novel affective affordances that potentially can enhance workplace flourishing, thereby augmenting the traditional understanding of user-tool interaction in professional environments.

• Wivestad, Viggo Tellefsen; Barbala, Astri Moksnes & Stray, Viktoria (2025). Copilot’s Island of Joy. In Marchesi, Lodovica; Goldman, Alfredo; Lunesu, Maria Ilaria; Przybyłek, Adam; Aguiar, Ademar; Morgan, Lorraine; Wang, Xiaofeng & Pinna, Andrea (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops: XP 2024 Workshops, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, June 4–7, 2024, Revised Selected Papers. Springer. ISSN 9783031727818. p. 123–129. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-72781-8_13. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract This study assesses the integration of GitHub Copilot into agile software development practices in one of Norway’s largest public sector organizations. Through a quasi-experimental survey of 115 participants, we differentiate the attitudes of users and non-users of GitHub Copilot regarding their development routines. Findings reveal that Copilot users experience significantly greater focus on engaging tasks and less dependence on colleagues compared to non-users, while non-users maintain a more cautious stance on AI use in the public sector. Further, while users generally showed more positive attitudes and fewer frustrations, these differences were not statistically significant. The study advocates for a mindful adoption of AI tools in agile settings, balancing individual benefits with interdependence and team unity.

• Andersen, Nina Haugland; Tkalich, Anastasiia; Moe, Nils Brede; Smite, Darja; Söderbom, Asgaut Mjølne & Hast, Ola [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Integrating pair programming as a work practice. Journal of Systems and Software. ISSN 0164-1212. 234. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2025.112730. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Context: Pair programming (PP) is more relevant than ever. As modern systems grow in complexity, knowledge sharing and collaboration across teams have become essential. However, despite well-documented benefits of PP, its adoption remains inconsistent across software teams. Objective: This study aims to understand the factors that facilitate or hinder team members’ adoption as well as lasting engagement in PP. Method: We have conducted an exploratory single-case study in a mature agile company in Norway. We collected data through two rounds of interviews with team members in different roles and performed a thematic analysis of the interviews. Results: Our key finding is that multiple factors, related to the perceptions of how PP contributes to daily work, social dynamics and learning, efforts associated with engaging in PP sessions, company and team attitudes, resources, infrastructure, and task characteristics, affect PP engagement. Conclusion: Long-term engagement in PP requires expected benefits with the practice being confirmed in firsthand experiences. Adapting the practice to each unique team, with insights drawn from collective learning, is also beneficial. Our findings will be beneficial for software practitioners seeking to make PP an integrated part of their team’s workflow.

• Martini, Antonio; Stray, Viktoria; Besker, Terese; Moe, Nils Brede & Bosch, Jan (2025). Process Debt: Definition, Risks, and Management. Journal of Software: Evolution and Process (JSEP). ISSN 2047-7473. 37(4), p. 1–23. doi: 10.1002/smr.70017. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Process debt, like technical debt, can be a source of short‐term benefits but often leads to harmful consequences in the long term for a software organization. Despite its impact, the phenomenon of process debt has not been thoroughly explored in current literature, leaving a gap in understanding how it affects and is managed within organizations. This paper addresses this gap by defining process debt, describing its occurrence, the risks of its mismanagement, and showing examples of mitigation strategies. Our study began with an exploratory phase involving semi‐structured interviews with sixteen practitioners across four international organizations, allowing us to gather diverse insights into the occurrence and management of process debt. Then, to deepen our understanding and validate our findings, we conducted a cross‐company focus group with ten additional practitioners and analyzed fifty‐eight observations and thirty‐five interviews from a longitudinal case study. The analysis of the research findings led to a definition of process debt and a novel framework. We also report on the causes, consequences, and occurrence patterns of process debt over time. We present mitigation strategies and discuss which ones need further attention for future research. Our results suggest that the debt metaphor may help companies understand how to manage and improve their processes and make process‐related decisions that are beneficial both in the short and long term.

• Stray, Viktoria; Barbala, Astri Moksnes & Wivestad, Viggo Tellefsen (2025). Human-AI Collaboration in Software Development: A Mixed-Methods Study of Developers’ Use of GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT. In Li, Jingyue (Eds.), FSE Companion '25: Proceedings of the 33rd ACM International Conference on the Foundations of Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9798400712760. p. 1325–1332. doi: 10.1145/3696630.3730566. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The integration of AI-powered coding assistants into software development presents both opportunities and challenges. These tools promise enhanced productivity and code quality while introducing significant concerns related to workflow integration, accuracy, reliability, and ethical considerations. This study investigates how software developers interact with Generative AI (GenAI) tools in a large-scale public sector organization. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyze 13 interviews and a survey with 114 respondents to explore the impact of GitHub Copilot (IDE-integrated AI) and ChatGPT (conversational AI assistant) on software engineering workflows. The Human-AI Collaboration and Adaptation Framework (HACAF) is central to our analysis, which integrates insights from several technology acceptance models and theories. Our findings reveal that compatibility within existing workflows plays a crucial role in effectively utilizing GenAI tools. We explore individual, technological, and social factors that influence the adoption of these tools, highlighting the importance of organizational support and collective user patterns within teams. By studying both users and non-users, we provide insights into the factors driving GenAI adoption and the barriers preventing full integration. Our findings contribute to discussions on AI-enhanced IDEs, human-AI collaboration in coding, and the evolving role of LLM-based assistants in modern software development.

• Stray, Viktoria; Stabell, Idunn; Sæter, Gyda Elisa; Barbala, Astri Moksnes & Lindsjørn, Yngve (2025). Teamwork in agile software development: A mixed-method study of gender diversity and collaboration dynamics. Information and Software Technology. ISSN 0950-5849. 187. doi: 10.1016/j.infsof.2025.107840. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Context: Teamwork is an important aspect of agile software development, and the widespread adoption of agile methodologies emphasizes the need for educational approaches that prepare students for effective teamwork. Capstone courses in agile software engineering provide a valuable setting for students to experience collaborative work. However, the dynamics within these teams, particularly regarding gender, require further exploration. Objectives: This study examines teamwork experiences in an agile capstone course focusing on how team gender composition affects role distribution, teamwork quality, and gender bias. Methods: This study involved 94 teams comprising 561 students over two years (213 women and 348 men). We employed a mixed-methods approach, using four surveys (806 responses) and 12 in-depth interviews to capture ambition level, satisfaction with agile practices, and gender differences. Results: Team gender composition significantly impacted teamwork quality (TWQ), with female-dominated but gender-diverse teams showing the highest TWQ scores. Interestingly, women in token positions in male-majority teams reported unexpectedly high satisfaction levels, challenging aspects of Kanter’s tokenism theory. However, women were more likely to report that team members underestimated their competence, particularly in male-majority teams. Observed gender differences included a tendency for women to engage more in design and process-oriented tasks, while men predominantly focused on programming and technical aspects such as architecture and algorithms. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of considering team composition in relation to gender in agile teams, as we found this aspect greatly impacts team dynamics. Further, the implementation of agile practices in capstone courses yielded high overall TWQ scores, indicating significant educational value. Our findings provide insights for both software engineering education and agile practitioners.

• Lund, Camilla Thorgersen Kielland; Stabell, Idunn; Stray, Viktoria & Lindsjørn, Yngve (2025). Teamwork Quality in Agile Capstone Courses: Insights from 790 Software Engineering Students. In Li, Jingyue (Eds.), FSE Companion '25: Proceedings of the 33rd ACM International Conference on the Foundations of Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9798400712760. p. 976–986. doi: 10.1145/3696630.3727254. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teamwork quality (TWQ), team members' success, and team performance are critical components of effective collaboration in modern software development. As capstone courses in software engineering aim to prepare students for industry practices, understanding the factors that influence team dynamics is essential. This study investigates the relationship between team ambition levels and TWQ, team members' success, and team performance in an agile capstone course. Our study involves 133 student teams comprising 790 students across three consecutive years (2022–2024). Data collection included 1,122 responses from pre- and post-surveys. In all three years, students were grouped into teams based on ambition levels. In 2024, the course structure was changed to place less emphasis on written project reports due to the widespread adoption of AI tools like ChatGPT. The results show that ambition levels were positively correlated with TWQ, team members' success, and team performance in 2022 and 2023, with higher ambition levels generally associated with improved collaboration and outcomes. However, in 2024, there were reduced disparities between lower and higher-ambition teams, enabling more equitable success across all teams. This study highlights that while ambition levels play a role in influencing teamwork and success, structured interventions that prioritize collaboration and inclusivity have a more substantial impact. These findings suggest that moving away from ambition-based team formation and focusing on fostering high-quality teamwork processes can better prepare students for real-world agile environments.

• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede; Ganeshan, Nivethika & Kobbenes, Simon (2025). Generative AI and Developer Workflows: How GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT Influence Solo and Pair Programming. In Bui, Tung (Eds.), Proceedings of the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Hilton Waikoloa Village, January 7-10, 2025. University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISSN 9780998133188. p. 7381–7390. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2025.883. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigates the impact of generative AI (GAI) tools, like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot, on software development. GAI tools can automate repetitive tasks, provide code suggestions, and enhance problem-solving. We conducted a case study in a large-scale agile organization, where we examined how GAI tools influence development efficiency and developers’ workflow. During 25 days of observations, we observed 49 programming sessions. GAI was used in all 16 solo programming sessions and 30 of 33 pair programming sessions. Additionally, we conducted 14 interviews with developers and team leaders. In solo programming, GAI tools were said to improve efficiency and reduce stress, allowing more time for solving complex tasks. In contrast, the impact of GAI in pair programming was mixed. GAI tools were less frequently used in pair programming compared to solo programming. Our findings also highlight changes in software development, with developers leveraging GAI for information retrieval and coding assistance. However, challenges such as dependency on AI tools and the accuracy of AI-generated suggestions persist.

• Barbala, Astri Moksnes; Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria; Tkalich, Anastasiia; Aamo, Hedda Wasskog & Uthus, Mina [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Objectives and Key Results in Large-Scale Agile Organizations: Challenges and Enablers. In Bui, Tung (Eds.), Proceedings of the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Hilton Waikoloa Village, January 7-10, 2025. University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISSN 9780998133188. p. 7444–7453. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2025.890. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) have emerged as a prevalent strategic management tool in large-scale agile development organizations, aiming to enhance operational alignment and performance. This study investigates the implementation of OKRs within a fintech organization that specializes in developing and managing solutions for over one million customers. We identify six key challenges and six enablers experienced in large-scale agile contexts when adopting OKRs as an organization-wide goal-setting framework. Our findings reveal that employees encounter challenges related to goal-setting and the compatibility of OKRs with their work tasks. However, factors such as sufficient training and concrete tasks, like "Monday Commitments," facilitate the successful adoption of OKRs in large-scale organizations. The study offers valuable insights for leaders and managers aiming to maximize the potential of OKRs, particularly within the dynamic and rapidly evolving fintech sector.

• Tkalich, Anastasiia; Klotins, Eriks; Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud; Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Barbala, Astri Moksnes (2025). User feedback in continuous software engineering: revealing the state-of-practice. Empirical Software Engineering. ISSN 1382-3256. 30(3). doi: 10.1007/s10664-024-10557-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Context Organizations opt for continuous delivery of incremental updates to deal with uncertainty and minimize waste. However, applying continuous engineering (CSE) practices requires a continuous feedback loop with input from customers and end-users. Challenges It becomes increasingly challenging to apply traditional requirements elicitation and validation techniques with ever-shrinking software delivery cycles. At the same time, frequent deliveries generate an abundance of usage data and telemetry informing engineering teams of end-user behavior. The literature describing how practitioners work with user feedback in CSE, is limited. Objectives We aim to explore the state of practice related to utilization of user feedback in CSE. Specifically, what practices are used, how, and the shortcomings of these practices. Method We conduct a qualitative survey and report analysis from 21 interviews in 13 product development companies. We apply thematic and cross-case analysis to interpret the data. Results Based on our earlier work we suggest a conceptual model of how user feedback is utilized in CSE. We further report the identified challenges with the continuous collection and analysis of user feedback and identify implications for practice. Conclusions Companies use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to infer end-user preferences. At the same time, continuous collection, analysis, interpretation, and use of data in decisions are problematic. The challenges pertain to selecting the right metrics and analysis techniques, resource allocation, and difficulties in accessing vaguely defined user groups. Our advice to practitioners in CSE is to ensure sufficient resources and effort for interpretation of the feedback, which can be facilitated by telemetry dashboards. Similar content being viewed by others

• Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Berntzen, Marthe; Moe, Nils Brede; Barbala, Astri Moksnes; Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud & Stray, Viktoria (2024). Exploring the Organizational Models for Data Science in Agile Software Development: Challenges and Strategies from a Multi-Case Study. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 9780998133171. p. 7249–7258. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2023.870. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In an increasingly fast-paced and dynamic world with exponentially more data, more roles are required in agile software development. At the same time, the development team needs to maintain speed and autonomy. The challenges surrounding the organization of cross-functional teams are thus exacerbated. Through a multi-case study with interviews from five organizations, we show how agile companies use different models of organizing data scientists. We find that there are specific challenges related to each of these organizational models and that some challenges are shared among all the organizational models. Challenges include difficulty coordinating development strategies and a lack of resources. In addition, we identify strategies used to overcome the challenges, including coordinating mechanisms for platform teams, communities of practice for data scientists, and the development of shared playbooks.

• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede; Bergersen, Gunnar R. & Kirkerud, Jeanette (2024). Behavioral Aspects of Agile Software Development: A Case Study on Meeting Practices. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 9780998133171. p. 7720–7729. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2023.926. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In FinTech organizations, there are trends toward employing agile methods, moving away from legacy monolithic technical architecture to microservices architecture, and focusing on collaboration and autonomy to boost innovation. When software teams have end-to-end responsibility and decision-making authority, they avoid handovers between teams and can develop software more quickly. Furthermore, effective coordination through meetings and digital collaboration tools is important for the success of the development of software applications. We conducted a case study in a large FinTech organization to understand behavioral aspects of software development and, specifically, their meeting practices. The results show that employees spend nearly half of their workday in meetings, posing challenges to productivity and availability. Strategies to reduce interruptions include blocking time in calendars, grouping meetings, and using digital tools such as Slack. Our findings indicate that achieving a balance between collaborative activities and uninterrupted work is not only challenging but essential in software development organizations. Consequently, it is important that team members discuss and actively experiment with various strategies to optimize this balance.

• Saltz, Jeffrey; Anderson, Edward; Sutherland, Alex & Stray, Viktoria (2024). Agile and Lean: Organization, Products and Development. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 9780998133171. p. 7236–7238. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2023.868. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Agile and Lean software development methods have become ubiquitous during the past two decades and have been shown to decisively improve the rapidity and success of software projects. However, the rise of virtual teams and ever more complex products have changed the context for which these methods were originally developed. The result are new organizational challenges that threaten to make Agile and Lean irrelevant. Additional pressure comes from new methods such as DevOps and BizDevOps that are increasing team diversity. Agile and Lean research, however, has not kept pace with these changes, creating the risk that Agile and Lean may become irrelevant in the near future.

• Sæter, Gyda Elisa; Stray, Viktoria; Almås, Steffen & Lindsjørn, Yngve (2024). The Role of Team Composition in Agile Software Development Education: A Gendered Perspective. In Šmite, Darja; Guerra, Eduardo; Wang, Xiaofeng; Marchesi, Michele & Gregory, Peggy (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 25th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2024, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, June 4–7, 2024, Proceedings. Springer. ISSN 9783031611544. p. 179–195. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Barbala, Astri Moksnes (2024). Slack Use in Large-Scale Agile Organizations: ESN Tools as Catalysts for Alignment? In Šmite, Darja; Guerra, Eduardo; Wang, Xiaofeng; Marchesi, Michele & Gregory, Peggy (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 25th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2024, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, June 4–7, 2024, Proceedings. Springer. ISSN 9783031611544. p. 20–35. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-61154-4_2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper examines the role of the enterprise social networking (ESN) tool Slack in the daily work of software practitioners within NAV, a large-scale agile public sector organization. Based on 13 interviews with NAV developers, our case study explores how Slack is employed for knowledge sharing and daily communication across the organization. We used a newly developed framework for communication in agile teams as a theoretical lens. Through our analysis, we found that Slack use had become deeply integrated into the organizational culture and fostered alignment in three main ways: Promoting communication transparency through open discussions visible for developers organization-wide, enhancing communication quality with prompt responses and constant communication, and encouraging communication discipline through structured channels and threads. This study also unveiled some challenges, such as information overload and hindered focus. However, our findings suggest that if common hurdles are overcome, modern ESN tools can reshape how cross-organizational communication plays out in large-scale agile, reinforcing the agile principles of collaboration and motivated individuals.

• Moe, Nils Brede; Berntzen, Marthe; Barbala, Astri Moksnes & Stray, Viktoria (2024). Software Product Management in Large-Scale Agile. In Šmite, Darja; Guerra, Eduardo; Wang, Xiaofeng; Marchesi, Michele & Gregory, Peggy (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 25th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2024, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, June 4–7, 2024, Proceedings. Springer. ISSN 9783031611544. p. 53–69. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-61154-4_4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Large-scale agile software development is increasingly being orga- nized with product management. Although product management is familiar to software engineering, we need research-based knowledge about organizing prod- uct management in an agile development context. This study focuses on product management challenges and configurations in a Nordic fintech organization with 10,000 employees. We conducted 19 interviews with participants involved in core product management activities. The study identifies ten key factors that hinder product management performance in a large-scale agile product company. Further, we present six product management configurations used in the fintech organiza- tion. The most suitable setup depends on the product lifecycle stage, product size, and development team setup. Our summary of the product management configura- tions and challenges can guide software product managers working in large-scale agile companies.

• Russo, Daniel; Baltes, Sebastian; Berkel, Niels van; Avgeriou, Paris; Calefato, Fabio & Cabrero-Daniel, Beatriz [Show all 35 contributors for this article] (2024). Generative AI in Software Engineering Must Be Human-Centered: The Copenhagen Manifesto. Journal of Systems and Software. ISSN 0164-1212. 216. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.112115. Full text in Research Archive
• Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria & Skarpen, Marianne (2024). Transforming Software Development with Generative AI: Empirical Insights on Collaboration and Workflow. In Nguyen, Anh Duc; Abrahamsson, Pekka & Khomh, Foutse (Ed.), Generative AI for Effective Software Development. Springer. ISSN 9783031556425. p. 219–234. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-55642-5_10. Full text in Research Archive
• Rosenkranz, Christoph; Stray, Viktoria & Wiesche, Manuel (2023). Call for Papers, Issue 1/2025, The Future of Systems Development: Managing Technology, Social, and Individual Aspects. Business & Information Systems Engineering (BISE). ISSN 2363-7005. doi: 10.1007/s12599-023-00819-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Florea, Raluca Madalina; Stray, Viktoria & Sjøberg, Dag (2023). On the roles of software testers: An exploratory study. Journal of Systems and Software. ISSN 0164-1212. 204. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.111742. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Context: Software development organizations need testers with high skill levels in a broad range of technical areas and application domains. Accordingly, we need a better understanding of how testers meet such skill demands in the practice of their role. Objective: This work aims to deepen the understanding of the typical tester role. Method: We performed a thematic analysis of 19 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with software testers working in various industries. To investigate employers’ views on such roles, we conducted a thematic analysis of 400 job ads. Results: From the interviews, we identified five subroles of software testers: domain-specific tester, test automation specialist, test infrastructure specialist, user experience tester, and test manager. Most of the practitioners preferred to develop skills and act in one subrole. In contrast, most of the job ads requested that testers act in multiple subroles. Conclusion: Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the tester role, which may guide testers in their acquisition of skills and employers in the recruiting of testers.

• Berntzen, Marthe; Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Hoda, Rashina (2023). Responding to change over time: A longitudinal case study on changes in coordination mechanisms in large-scale agile. Empirical Software Engineering. ISSN 1382-3256. 28. doi: 10.1007/s10664-023-10349-0. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Context Responding to change and continuously improving processes, practices, and products are core to agile software development. It is no different in large-scale agile, where multiple software development teams need to respond both to changes in their external environments and to changes within the organization. Objective With this study, we aim to advance knowledge on coordination in large-scale agile by developing a model of the types of organizational changes that influence coordination mechanisms. Method We conducted a longitudinal case study in a growing large-scale agile organization, focusing on how external and internal changes impact coordination over time. We collected our data through 62 days of fieldwork across one and a half years. We conducted 37 interviews, observed 118 meetings at all organizational levels, collected supplementary material such as chat logs and presentations, and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Results Our findings demonstrate how external events, such as onboarding new clients, and internal events, such as changes in the team organization, influence coordination mechanisms in the large-scale software development program. We find that external and internal change events lead to the introduction of new coordination mechanisms, or the adjustment of existing ones. Further, we find that continuous scaling requires continuous change and adjustment. Finally, we find that having the right mechanisms in place at the right time strengthens resilience and the ability to cope with change in coordination needs in complex large-scale environments. Conclusions Our findings are summarized in an empirically based model that provides a practical approach to analyzing change, aimed at supporting both researchers and practitioners dealing with change in coordination mechanisms in large-scale agile development contexts.

• Tkalich, Anastasiia; Moe, Nils Brede; Andersen, Nina Haugland; Stray, Viktoria & Barbala, Astri Moksnes (2023). Pair Programming Practiced in Hybrid Work, Proceedings of the 2023 ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781665452236. doi: 10.1109/ESEM56168.2023.10304797. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Pair programming (PP) has been a widespread practice for decades and is known for facilitating knowledge exchange and improving the quality of software. Many agilists advocated the importance of collocation, face-to-face interaction, and physical artifacts incorporated in the shared workspace when pairing. After a long period of forced work-from-home, many knowledge workers prefer to work remotely two or three days per week, which is affecting practices such as PP. In this revelatory single-case study, we aimed to understand how PP is practiced during hybrid work when team members alternate between on-site days and working from home. We collected qualitative and quantitative data through 11 semi-structured interviews, observations, feedback sessions, and self-reported surveys. The interviewees were members of an agile software development team in a Norwegian fintech company. The results presented in this paper indicate that PP can be practiced through on-site, remote, and mixed sessions, where the mixed mode seems to be the least advantageous. The findings highlight the importance of adapting the work environment to suit individual work mode preferences when it comes to PP. In the future, we will build on these findings to explore PP in other teams and organizations practicing hybrid work.

• Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria; Smite, Darja & Mikalsen, Marius (2023). Attractive Workplaces: What Are Engineers Looking for? IEEE Software. ISSN 0740-7459. 40(5), p. 85–93. doi: 10.1109/MS.2023.3276929. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Competing for talents requires a conscious effort to offer an attractive workplace, which, until recently, involved increasing employee empowerment and engagement and offering opportunities for bottom-up innovation. Today, this is not sufficient, pushing tech companies to harmonize existing strategies with remote work.

• Liu, Zixuan; Stray, Viktoria & Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud (2023). Organizational Debt in Large-Scale Hybrid Agile Software Development: A Case Study on Coordination Mechanisms. In Kruchten, Philippe & Gregory, Peggy (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops: XP 2022 Workshops, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 13–17, 2022, and XP 2023 Workshops, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 13–16, 2023, Revised Selected Papers. Springer. ISSN 9783031485503. p. 75–84. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-48550-3_8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Software development is a complex human-centered activity, increasingly complicated by agile organizations scaling and adopting hybrid work. While technical debt has been extensively studied, other forms of debt-organizational, process, cultural, and social-have received less attention. We conducted a case study using ten semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis to identify coordination mechanisms used in large-scale hybrid agile. We identified organizational debt challenges such as a lack of shared mental models, team coordination, team cohesion, and team learning. Also, the hybrid working arrangement was found to create tension between increased individual autonomy and team objectives, as well as between team autonomy and inter-team coordination. We found 23 coordination mechanisms that the teams used to address challenges in their organization. We propose that implementing many of these mechanisms may help manage organizational debt.

• Barbala, Astri Moksnes; Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud & Stray, Viktoria (2023). Data-Driven Development in Public Sector: How Agile Product Teams Maneuver Data Privacy Regulations. In Stettina, Christoph Johann; Garbajosa, Juan & Kruchten, Philippe (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 24th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2023, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 13–16, 2023, Proceedings. Springer. ISSN 9783031339769. p. 165–180. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-33976-9_11. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Datafication processes, the ongoing strive for making organizations data-driven, have in recent years entailed data-focused software projects and more interdisciplinary teamwork. Simultaneously as agile product teams have been directed towards increased use of data for software development, stronger data protection regulations such as GDPR have further complexified the software developer role, whose responsibilities and expectations now expand far beyond mere coding. Seeking to develop an understanding of how data-intensive product teams in the public sector maneuver the legal hurdles emerging in the wake of data governance, this paper builds on 19 interviews with members of two agile product teams in the Norwegian organizations NAV and Entur. Our findings indicate that including a legal expert in the team can boost confidence in data handling practices and avoid delays in deliveries, but it requires effort to synchronize and overcome interdisciplinary barriers.

• Olsen, John Olav; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2023). Business Development in Large-Scale Agile Software Development: Barriers and Enablers. In Kruchten, Philippe & Gregory, Peggy (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops: XP 2022 Workshops, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 13–17, 2022, and XP 2023 Workshops, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 13–16, 2023, Revised Selected Papers. Springer. ISSN 9783031485503. p. 161–170. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-48550-3_16. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Currently, many financial organizations must undergo a digital transformation. In this study, we investigated a transformation in a Norwegian fintech company with the aim of understanding how the tasks performed by business development can be better aligned with the work of cross-functional development teams. Specifically, we examined the enablers and barriers to coordination between business development and software product development in large-scale agile software development. The organization under study had 25 software product development teams that followed an in-house agile model. We collected data by conducting 13 interviews and collecting various documents. Our findings suggest that having cross-functional fora, having a common understanding of what business development is, and coaching the whole organization to be more agile can improve coordination between business and software development.

• Stray, Viktoria; Gundelsby, Jan Henrik; Ulfsnes, Rasmus & Moe, Nils Brede (2022). How agile teams make Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) work. In Carleton, Anita (Eds.), ICSSP'22: Proceedings of the International Conference on Software and System Processes and International Conference on Global Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9781450396745. p. 104–209. doi: 10.1145/3529320.3529332. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Today, many companies allow their employees to work from anywhere, which has changed how employees coordinate their work and align toward the same goals. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) is a goal-setting framework applied in such distributed settings. This research aimed to investigate how OKRs are used in large-scale agile contexts. We interviewed team members and analyzed documents, including a survey. Our study’s results provide both enabling and limiting situations that make team members’ utilization of the framework either easier or more difficult. We found that OKRs aided knowledge sharing and improved transparency between teams. We present four strategies used for overcoming challenges and maximizing the benefits of using a goal-setting framework. An important takeaway is that companies that employ OKRs must support their employees, especially in defining key outcomes that align and encourage teams toward a common goal.

• Moe, Nils Brede; Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Stray, Viktoria & Smite, Darja (2022). Improving productivity through corporate hackathons: A multiple case study of two large-scale agile organizations. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 1530-1605. p. 7310–7319. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2022.878. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Software development companies organize hackathons to encourage innovation. Despite many benefits of hackathons, in large-scale agile organizations where many teams work together, stopping the ongoing work results in a significant decrease in the immediate output. Motivated by the need to understand whether and how to run hackathons, we investigated how the practice affects productivity on the individual and organizational levels. By mapping the benefits and challenges to an established productivity framework, we found that hackathons improve developers' satisfaction and well- being, strengthen the company culture, improve performance (as many ideas are tested), increase activity (as the ideas are developed quickly), and improve communication and collaboration (because the social network is strengthened). Addressing managerial concerns, we found that hackathons also increase efficiency and flow because people learn to complete work and make progress quickly, and they build new competence. Finally, with respect to virtual hackathons we found that developers work more in isolation because tasks are split between team members resulting in less collaboration. This means that some important, expected hackathon values in virtual contexts require extra effort and cannot be taken for granted.

• Gustavsson, Tomas; Berntzen, Marthe & Stray, Viktoria (2022). Changes to team autonomy in large-scale software development: a multiple case study of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) implementations. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management. ISSN 2182-7796. 10(1), p. 29–46. doi: 10.12821/ijispm100102. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Large-scale transformations of agile ways of working have received more attention in the industry in recent years. Some organizations have developed their own solutions for scaling, whereas many have chosen trademarked frameworks. In large-scale agile software development, many developers and development teams carry out work simultaneously. When autonomous teams need to coordinate toward a common goal, they must sacrifice some level of autonomy. Development, testing, and integrations need to be coordinated with other teams and aligned with an organization´s programs or portfolio. Through the conducting of 28 interviews and 17 on-site visits, this multiple case study explored how team autonomy changed in three agile software development organizations that implemented the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). The positive changes to team autonomy that they experienced as a result included getting a better overview, making better long-term decisions, giving and receiving help, and signaling limitations. We found two negative impacts on team autonomy: limited feature choice and enforced refinement. The study extends previous research on large-scale agile software development and improves our understanding of impacts on team autonomy.

• Berntzen, Marthe; Hoda, Rashina; Moe, Nils Brede & Stray, Viktoria (2022). A taxonomy of inter-team coordination mechanisms in large-scale agile. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. ISSN 0098-5589. 49(2), p. 699–718. doi: 10.1109/TSE.2022.3160873. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In large-scale agile software development, many teams work together to achieve overarching project goals. The more teams, the greater the coordination requirements. Despite the growing popularity of large-scale agile, inter-team coordination is challenging to practice and research. We conducted a case study over 1.5 years in a large-scale software development firm to better understand which inter-team coordination mechanisms are used in large-scale agile and how they support inter-team coordination. Based on a thematic analysis of 31 interviews, 113 hours of observations, and supplemental material, we identified 27 inter-team coordination mechanisms. From this, we offer the following contributions. First, we propose a taxonomy of inter-team coordination with three categories: coordination meetings, such as communities of practice, inter-team stand-ups, and retrospectives; coordination roles, such as the program architects and the platform team; and coordination tools and artefacts, such as Slack and JIRA as well as inter-team task boards, product backlogs, and roadmaps. Second, the coordination mechanisms displayed combinations of four key characteristics, technical, organizational, physical, and social (TOPS), which form the basis of the TOPS framework to capture the multifaceted characteristics of coordination mechanisms. Technical relates to the software product and/or technical tools supporting software development. Organizational pertains to the structural aspects of the organization. Physical refers to tangible or spatial characteristics. Social captures interpersonal and community-based characteristics. Finally, the taxonomy and the TOPS framework provide a knowledge base and a structured approach for researchers to study as well as for software practitioners to understand and improve inter-team coordination in large-scale agile.

• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede; Strode, Diane & Mæhlum, Emilie (2022). Coordination value in Agile software development: a multiple case study of coordination mechanisms managing dependencies. In Prechelt, Lutz & Rodríguez-Pérez, Gema (Ed.), CHASE '22: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9781450393423. p. 11–20. doi: 10.1145/3528579.3529182. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Agile software projects involve a high degree of coordination between project members to manage complexity and frequent change. There is a need to understand what coordinating mechanisms are valuable for project and team coordination. Coordination mechanisms, such as meetings and Slack, can foster a smooth workflow but also fragment work by interrupting the focused work of developers. Objective: This study aimed to investigate valuable coordination mechanisms and how they can be balanced against the need for uninterrupted work periods. Method: We conducted 30 interviews and observed 109 meetings in five companies using agile software development methods. We used coordination-dependency mapping to identify valuable coordination mechanisms. Results: Valuable coordination mechanisms included instant messaging tools, daily stand-up meetings, boards, open work area, Scrum of Scrums, bug crush days, BizDev meetings, and Make it Happen meetings. Conclusion: We advise companies to identify valuable coordination mechanisms using coordination-dependency mapping and then to bundle, schedule, and substitute these coordination mechanisms to reduce interruptions to development work.

• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede; Vedal, Henrik Aspenes & Berntzen, Marthe (2022). Using Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Slack: A Case Study of Coordination in Large-Scale Distributed Agile. In Bui, Tung (Eds.), The proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ISSN 9780998133157. p. 7360–7369. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Today, many large-scale software projects have members working from home, which has changed the way teams coordinate work. To better understand coordination in this setting, we conducted a case study through which we examined two teams in a large-scale agile project by observing meetings and conducting 17 interviews. Through the lens of Relational Coordination Theory (RCT), we analyzed the use of the goal-setting framework Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and the collaboration tool Slack. Slack was used for frequent, timely, and problem-solving communication and, and its use decreased the number of planned meetings. However, discussions often started on Slack and continued in virtual ad-hoc meetings. The use of OKRs facilitated knowledge sharing, helped the teams align their goals, and provided inter-team insights. The main implication of our research is that projects using OKRs need to support project members, especially in formulating the key results that align and motivate the teams to work toward the same mission.

• Vedal, Henrik Aspenes; Stray, Viktoria; Berntzen, Marthe & Moe, Nils Brede (2021). Managing Dependencies in Large-Scale Agile. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. ISSN 1865-1348. 426, p. 52–61. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-88583-0_6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Delivering results iteratively and frequently in large-scale agile requires efficient management of dependencies. We conducted semistructured interviews and virtual observations in a large-scale project during the Covid-19 pandemic to better understand large-scale dependency management. All employees in the case were working from home. During our data collection and analysis, we identified 22 coordination mechanisms. These mechanisms could be categorized as synchronization activities, boundary-spanning activities and artifacts, and coordinator roles. By using a dependency taxonomy, we analyzed how the mechanisms managed five different types of dependencies. We discuss three essential mechanisms for coordination in our case. First, setting Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in regular workshops increased transparency and predictability across teams. Second, ad-hoc communication, mainly happening on Slack because of the distributed setting, was essential in managing dependencies. Third, the Product Owner was a coordinator role that managed both inter-team and intra-team dependencies.

• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede; Mikalsen, Marius & Hagen, Elin (2021). An Empirical Investigation of Pull Requests in Partially Distributed BizDevOps Teams. In Bendraou, Reda & Smite, Darja (Ed.), 2021 IEEE/ACM Joint 15th International Conference on Software and System Processes (ICSSP) and 16th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Global Software Engineering (ICGSE). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781665414012. p. 110–119. doi: 10.1109/ICSSP-ICGSE52873.2021.00021. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In globally distributed projects, virtual teams are often partially dispersed. One common setup occurs when several members from one company work with a large outsourcing vendor based in another country. Further, the introduction of the popular BizDevOps concept has increased the necessity to cooperate across departments and reduce the age-old disconnection between the business strategy and technical development. Establishing a good collaboration in partially distributed BizDevOps teams requires extensive collaboration and communication techniques. Nowadays, a common approach is to rely on collaboration through pull requests and frequent communication on Slack. To investigate barriers for pull requests in distributed teams, we examined an organization located in Scandinavia where cross-functional BizDevOps teams collaborated with off-site team members in India. Data were collected by conducting 14 interviews, observing 23 entire days with the team, and observing 37 meetings. We found that the pull-request approach worked very well locally but not across sites. We found barriers such as domain complexity, different agile processes (timeboxed vs. flow-based development), and employee turnover. Using an intellectual capital lens on our findings, we discuss barriers and positive and negative effects on the success of the pull-request approach.

• Lindsjørn, Yngve; Almås, Steffen & Stray, Viktoria (2021). A Case Study of Teamwork and Project Success in a Comprehensive Capstone Course. NIKT: Norsk IKT-konferanse for forskning og utdanning. ISSN 1892-0713. 4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Teamwork is essential in agile software development projects. Therefore, software engineering students who participate in a software engineering capstone course involving teamwork are better prepared for the industry. This study investigated student teams over three years in a comprehensive capstone course offered by the University of Oslo. The collaboration between the students involved in the course changed from in person in 2019 to virtual in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we aimed to explore the differences in teamwork and the effect on project success when the student teams collaborated in person versus virtually. A mixed-methods case study was conducted. The quantitative data consisted of surveys representing 126 student teams and 595 individual respondents. The qualitative data included eight semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that the student teams in such software engineering capstone courses perform well even when collaborating virtually, but they are less satisfied than they are when in person. The student teams found it hard to motivate themselves when they suddenly had to work virtually. Still, the motivation increased when they found ways to collaborate and make the project case exciting. The teams found adequate collaboration tools and managed to carry out the teamwork virtually. Even though it was harder to work virtually, project success was not significantly affected. The student teams that performed well also used virtual collaboration proficiently.

• Mikalsen, Marius; Moe, Nils Brede; Wong, Sut I & Stray, Viktoria (2021). Agile Information System Development Organizations Transforming to Large-Scale Collaboration. In Valacich, Joe (Eds.), ICIS 2021 Proceedings. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9781733632591. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We report findings from a case study of a large agile information systems development (ISD) organization´s sudden transformation to distributed, digital work in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. It seeks to understand how knowledge creation and sharing changes. The findings show various forms of distance being introduced, digital tool usage, increased task orientation, and variations across teams. To analyze the findings, we use the concepts of large-scale collaborations and sociability. Large-scale collaboration offers a socio-technical perspective on tackling distributed knowledge sharing and creation in the presence of multiple, loosely coupled partners using digital tools for collaboration. We show what the digital tools afford using the concept of sociability. We discuss how distributed digital practices make teams more task-oriented and that creating and maintaining sociability, a key issue for knowledge sharing in agile ISD organizations, require relation-oriented communication during practical problem solving using digital tools.

• Stray, Inga Viktoria Ågesdatter Gulli; Tkalich, Anastasiia & Moe, Nils Brede (2021). The Agile Coach Role: Coaching for Agile Performance Impact. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 1530-1605. p. 6816–6825. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2021.817. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It is increasingly common to introduce agile coaches to help gain speed and advantage in agile companies. Following the success of Spotify, the role of the agile coach has branched out in terms of tasks and responsibilities, but little research has been conducted to examine how this role is practiced. This paper examines the role of the agile coach through 19 semi-structured interviews with agile coaches from ten different companies. We describe the role in terms of the tasks the coach has in agile projects, valuable traits, skills, tools, and the enablers of agile coaching. Our findings indicate that agile coaches perform at the team and organizational levels. They affect effort, strategies, knowledge, and skills of the agile teams. The most essential traits of an agile coach are being emphatic, people-oriented, able to listen, diplomatic, and persistent. We suggest empirically based advice for agile coaching, for example companies giving their agile coaches the authority to implement the required organizational changes within and outside the teams.

• Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Smite, Darja (2021). Innovation in Large-scale agile - Benefits and Challenges of Hackathons when Hacking from Home. In Gregory, Peggy & Kruchten, Philippe (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops: XP 2021 Workshops, Virtual Event, June 14–18, 2021, Revised Selected Papers. Springer. ISSN 9783030885823. p. 23–32. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-88583-0_3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hackathons are events in which diverse teams work together to explore and develop solutions, software, or even ideas. Hackathons have been recognized not only as public events for hacking but also as a corporate mechanism for innovation. Hackathons are a way for established large-scale agile organizations to achieve increased employee wellbeing as well as being a curator for innovation and developing new products. The sudden transition to the work-from-home mode caused by the COVID-19 pandemic first put many corporate events requiring collocation, such as hackathons, temporarily on hold and then motivated companies to find ways to hold these events virtually. In this paper, we report our findings from investigating hackathons in the context of a large agile company by first exploring the general benefits and challenges of hackathons and then trying to understand how they were affected by the virtual setup. We conducted nine interviews, surveyed 23 employees, and analyzed a hackathon demo. We found that hackathons provide both individual and organizational benefits of innovation, personal interests, and acquiring new skills and competencies. However, several challenges such as added stress due to stopping the regular work, employees fearing not having enough contribution to deliver, and potential mismatch between individual and organizational goals were also found. With respect to the virtual setup, we found that virtual hackathons are not diminishing the innovation benefits. However, some negative effects surfaced on the social and networking side.

• Smite, Darja; Mikalsen, Marius; Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria & Klotins, Eriks (2021). From Collaboration to Solitude and Back: Remote Pair Programming During COVID-19. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. ISSN 1865-1348. 419, p. 3–18. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78098-2_1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Along with the increasing popularity of agile software development, software work has become much more social than ever. Contemporary software teams rely on a variety of collaborative practices, such as pair programming, the topic of our study. Many agilists advocated the importance of collocation, face- to-face interaction, and physical artefacts incorporated in the shared workspace, which the COVID-19 pandemic made unavailable; most software companies around the world were forced to send their engineers to work from home. As software projects and teams overnight turned into distributed collaborations, we question what happened to the pair programming practice in the work-from-home mode. This paper reports on a longitudinal study of remote pair programming in two companies. We conducted 38 interviews with 30 engineers from Norway, Sweden, and the USA, and used the results of a survey in one of the case com- panies. Our study is unique as we collected the data longitudinally in April/May 2020, Sep/Oct 2020, and Jan/Feb 2021. We found that pair programming has decreased and some interviewees report not pairing at all for almost a full year. The experiences of those who paired vary from actively co-editing the code by using special tools to more passively co-reading and discussing the code and solu- tions by sharing the screen. Finally, we found that the interest in and the use of PP over time, since the first months of the forced work from home to early 2021, has admittedly increased, also as a social practice.

• Stray, Viktoria; Florea, Raluca-Madalina & Paruch, Lucas (2021). Exploring human factors of the agile software tester. Software quality journal. ISSN 0963-9314. 30, p. 1–27. doi: 10.1007/s11219-021-09561-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Although extensive research has been conducted on the characteristics of the agile developer, little attention has been given to the features of the software-testing role. This paper explores the human factors of the software testers working in agile projects through a qualitative study focusing on how these factors are perceived. We interviewed 22 agile software practitioners working in three international companies: 14 testers, five developers, and three designers. Additionally, we observed 11 meetings and daily work of 13 participants in one of the companies. Our findings show that the views on the human factors shaping the agile software tester’s role were crystallized into seven traits, which the agile team members saw as central for the software-testing role: the ability to see the whole picture, good communication skills, detail-orientation, structuredness, creativeness, curiosity, and adaptability. The testers spent half their day communicating and learned how to mitigate the fact that they had to bring bad news to other project members. They also facilitated communication between the business side and development. Based on our results, we propose the seven traits as dimensions to consider for organizations recruiting agile software testers, as well as a reference for IT and non-IT professionals considering a software-testing career.

• Berntzen, Marthe; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2021). Coordination Strategies: Managing Inter-team Coordination Challenges in Large-Scale Agile. In Gregory, Peggy; Lassenius, Casper; Wang, Xiaofeng & Kruchten, Philippe (Ed.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 22nd International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2021, Virtual Event, June 14–18, 2021, Proceedings. Springer. ISSN 9783030780975. p. 140–156. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-78098-2_9. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Sjøberg, Dag (2020). Daily Stand-Up Meetings: Start Breaking the Rules! IEEE Software. ISSN 0740-7459. 37(3), p. 70–77. doi: 10.1109/MS.2018.2875988. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Daily stand-up meetings are commonly used for software teams to collaborate and exchange information, but conducting them in a way that benefits the whole team can be challenging. We describe factors that can affect meetings and propose recommendations for improving them.

• Holgeid, Knut Kjetil & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Factors Promoting Software Project Escalation: A Systematic Review. In IEEE, Computer Society (Eds.), 2020 IEEE 22nd Conference on Business Informatics (CBI 2020). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781728199269. p. 280–289. doi: 10.1109/CBI49978.2020.00037. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A vast amount of resources is wasted on software projects delivering less than the planned benefits. The objective of this paper is to investigate the tendency to continue a project even when it is evident that it will not provide the expected benefits, often referred to as “project escalation” or “escalation of commitment.” We aim to identify factors that empirically have been found to promote software project escalation. We examined 1376 papers related to the phenomenon of escalating commitment to software projects and found that 44 of them included relevant empirical research. After reviewing these papers, we synthesized the results. We provide an overview of 46 factors that have been found to promote software project escalation. Thirteen of the factors were project-related, 20 were psychological factors, nine were social factors, and four were structural factors related to the project's contextual dimensions. We contribute to practice by systemizing empirical evidence of software project escalation that can be of help in avoiding it in the first place and uncovering already escalated situations. As most studies are investigations of only a few factors, we propose further research to study how factors potentially interplay as they contribute to escalation of software projects.

• Jøsang, Audun; Stray, Viktoria & Rygge, Hanne (2020). Threat Poker: Gamification of Secure Agile. In Hölbl, Marko; Rannenberg, Kai & Welzer, Tatjana (Ed.), 35th IFIP TC 11 International Conference on ICT Systems Security and Privacy Protection (IFIP SEC 2020). Springer. ISSN 9783030582005. p. 142–155. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-59291-2_10. Full text in Research Archive
• Mikalsen, Marius; Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Backer, Idun (2020). Shifting conceptualization of control in agile transformations. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. ISSN 1865-1348. 396, p. 173–181. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-58858-8_18. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Agile transformation implies that organizations apply agile methods also outside of software development units. One particular way of doing such transformations is to create cross-functional software development units. This represents new challenges for control for organizations as the unformal agile control mechanisms from the software units meet the more formal, bureaucratic and hierarchical control from other units. The research on how to manage control in agile transformations, however, is scarce. Through a case study of a new, cross-functional unit in a financial institution, we report on their work to implement control in agile transformations. To analyze our results, we draw on new perspectives for control in the digital era, which challenges existing presumptions on control. Our findings indicate how agile transformations require rethinking traditional control mechanisms and experiment with new control perspectives more suitable for the digital era.

• Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2020). Understanding coordination in global software engineering: A mixed-methods study on the use of meetings and Slack. Journal of Systems and Software. ISSN 0164-1212. 170(110717). doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2020.110717. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Given the relevance of coordination in the field of global software engineering, this work was carried out to further understand coordination mechanisms. Specifically, we investigated meetings and the collaboration tool Slack. We conducted a longitudinal case study using a mixed-methods approach with surveys, observations, interviews, and chat logs. Our quantitative results show that employees in global projects spend 7 h 45 min per week on average in scheduled meetings and 8 h 54 min in unscheduled meetings. Furthermore, distributed teams were significantly larger than co-located teams, and people working in distributed teams spent somewhat more time in meetings per day. We found that low availability of key people, absence of organizational support for unscheduled meetings and unbalanced activity from team members in meetings and on Slack were barriers for effective coordination across sites. The positive aspects of using collaboration tools in distributed teams were increased team awareness and informal communication and reduced the need for e-mail. Our study emphasizes the importance of reflecting on how global software engineering teams use meetings and collaboration tools to coordinate. We provide practical advice for conducting better meetings and give suggestions for more efficient use of collaboration tools in global projects.

• Stray, Viktoria; Bakhtawar, Memon & Paruch, Lucas (2020). A Systematic Literature Review on Agile Coaching and the Role of the Agile Coach. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). ISSN 0302-9743. LNCS, 12562, p. 3–19. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-64148-1_1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  There has been a recent increase in the use of agile coaches in organizations. Although the use of the job title is popular, empirical knowledge about the tasks, responsibilities and skills of an agile coach is lacking. In this paper, we present a systematic literature review on agile coaching and the role of the agile coach. The initial search resulted in a total of 209 studies identified on the topic. Based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 67 studies were selected as primary studies. Our findings suggest that agile coaching facilitates the adoption and sustainability of agile methods and deals with agile adoption challenges. Agile coaches help in training and developing software development teams and all the stakeholders involved in the agile adoption process. The primary skills of an agile coach identified herein are leadership qualities, project management skills, technical skills, and expertise in agile methods. Based on the findings, it can be argued that agile coaches play a significant role in addressing challenges in an agile transformation such as resistance to change. Coaches focus on removing barriers to team autonomy in agile teams and making agile meetings more valuable.

• Paruch, Lucas; Stray, Viktoria & Blindheim, Charlotte Bech (2020). Characteristic Traits of Software Testers. In Li, Jingyue; Jaccheri, Maria Letizia; Dingsøyr, Torgeir & Chitchyan, Ruzanna (Ed.), EASE '20: Proceedings of the Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9781450377317. doi: 10.1145/3383219.3383270. Full text in Research Archive
• Løvold, Henrik Hillestad; Lindsjørn, Yngve & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Forming and Assessing Student Teams in Software Engineering Courses. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. ISSN 1865-1348. p. 298–306. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-58858-8_31. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In software development projects, working in teams is essential. Therefore, software engineering courses often require the students to be working in teams to learn about team work behaviors and practices. The instructors of software engineering courses are presented with several challenges when teaching courses that require teamwork. For example, how to form high-performing student teams, and how to assess their work. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether there are differences in performance whether the students form the teams themselves, or if the teams are formed by the instructor. We evaluated a course involving agile software development by 200 students working in 39 teams. A total of 76% of the students chose to form their own teams, the remaining 24% were placed in teams by the instructors. Our findings indicate that teams formed by the students perform slightly better than the teams formed by the instructors.

• Paruch, Lucas; Stray, Viktoria & Florea, Raluca-Madalina (2020). The human factors of the agile software tester. Communications in Computer and Information Science (CCIS). ISSN 1865-0929. 1266, p. 474–487. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-58793-2_38. Full text in Research Archive
• Florea, Raluca-Madalina & Stray, Viktoria (2020). A Qualitative Study of the Background, Skill Acquisition, and Learning Preferences of Software Testers. In Li, Jingyue; Jaccheri, Maria Letizia; Dingsøyr, Torgeir & Chitchyan, Ruzanna (Ed.), EASE '20: Proceedings of the Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9781450377317. p. 299–305. doi: 10.1145/3383219.3383252. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria & Goplen, Marcus R. (2020). Studying Onboarding in Distributed Software Teams: A Case Study and Guidelines. In Li, Jingyue; Jaccheri, Maria Letizia; Dingsøyr, Torgeir & Chitchyan, Ruzanna (Ed.), EASE '20: Proceedings of the Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9781450377317. p. 150–159. doi: 10.1145/3383219.3383235. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Many companies have turned towards globally distributed software development in their quest for access to more development capacity. This paper investigates how a company onboarded distributed teams in a global project, and report experience on how to study such distributed projects. Onboarding is the process of helping new team members adapt to the existing team and ways of working. The goal of the studied onboarding program was to integrate Portuguese developers into two existing Norwegian teams. Further, due to the growing trend in utilizing globally distributed projects, and the challenge of conducting studies in distributed organizations, it is crucial to find good practices for researching such projects. We collected qualitative data from interviews, observations, Slack conversations and documents, and quantitative data on Slack activity. We report experiences on different onboarding practices and techniques, and we suggest guidelines to help other researchers conduct qualitative studies in globally distributed projects.

• Martini, Antonio; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2019). Technical-, social- and process debt in large-scale agile: An exploratory case-study. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. ISSN 1865-1348. 364, p. 112–119. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-30126-2_14. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Large-scale agile projects bring inter-teams interaction challenges. Teams need to be autonomous, but often crosscutting concerns affect many teams. If the teams fail to collaborate on these concerns, the negative effects might hinder agility in the medium and long term. In other words, the organization and the system accumulate debt, on which the teams pay a high interest. Such debt must therefore be prioritized and “repaid” timely. We conducted a case study with interviews, observations and document analysis. Via both team- and large-scale retrospectives we investigated how teams coordinate and discuss Technical-, Social- and Process Debts.

• Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Noroozi, Mehdi (2019). Slack Me If You Can! Using Enterprise Social Networking Tools in Virtual Agile Teams. In Calefato, Fabio; Tell, Paolo & Dubey, Alpana (Ed.), 2019 ACM/IEEE 14th International Conference on Global Software Engineering (ICGSE). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781538692127. p. 111–121. doi: 10.1109/ICGSE.2019.00031. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Virtual teams rely on enterprise social networking tools such as Slack to collaborate efficiently. While such tools contribute to making the communication more synchronous and support distributed agile development, there are several challenges such as how to interact with each other and how to balance the communication with other types of communication mechanisms such as meetings, e-mail, and phone. In this paper, we describe and discuss how a distributed global project used Slack. Some of the challenges we identified were related to language problems, using too much direct messaging when communicating, and unbalanced activity (33% of the users accounted for 86% of the messages). The positive aspects of using the tool were increased transparency, team awareness, and informal communication. Further, Slack facilitates problem-focused communication which is essential for agile teams. Our study stresses the importance of reflecting on how virtual teams use communication tools, and we suggest that teams decide on guidelines on how to use the tools to improve their coordination.

• Florea, Raluca-Madalina & Stray, Viktoria (2019). A Global View on the Hard Skills and Testing Tools in Software Testing. In Calefato, Fabio; Tell, Paolo & Dubey, Alpana (Ed.), 2019 ACM/IEEE 14th International Conference on Global Software Engineering (ICGSE). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781538692127. p. 143–151. doi: 10.1109/ICGSE.2019.00035. Full text in Research Archive
• Florea, Raluca-Madalina & Stray, Viktoria (2019). The skills that employers look for in software testers. Software quality journal. ISSN 0963-9314. 27, p. 1449–1479. doi: 10.1007/s11219-019-09462-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Software testing is an integral part of software development that provides better-quality products and user experiences and helps build the reputation of software companies. Though software testers perform a role that requires specific tasks and skills, in-depth studies of software testers lag behind research studies of other roles within software development teams. In this paper, we aim to create a profile of testers by presenting an empirical analysis of the skills the industry currently needs. We analysed data from 400 job adverts in 33 countries. We mapped the skills on a taxonomy comprising test-related, technical, and domain-specific skills. In addition, we looked at the demand for educational attainment, relevant certifications, and previous experience requirements. Our findings show that employers are mostly interested in skills related to test planning and design, test automation, functional testing, performance testing, and progress reporting. One third of the job advertisers were interested in people with the skills to operate test execution tools. Selenium was the testing tool most in demand. The testers must have strong technical abilities, including programming skills in Java, C#, and SQL. Also, they must handle project management tasks such as estimation, risk management, and quality assurance. Employers do not emphasise domain-specific knowledge, which indicates that they consider testing skills portable across industries. One in seven job adverts asks for a software testing certification. Our study helps clarify the complexity of the testing job and outlines the capabilities one needs to fulfil a software tester’s responsibilities.

• Moe, Nils Brede; Dahl, Bjørn Haug; Stray, Viktoria; Karlsen, Lina Sund & Schjødt-Osmo, Stine (2019). Team Autonomy in Large-Scale Agile. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceeding of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2019). AIS Electronic Library. ISSN 9780998133126. p. 6997–7006. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2019.839. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Large-scale software development is increasingly making use of agile practices. In large-scale projects, a team needs to align with other teams and the rest of the organization. This has been shown to threaten team autonomy, which, in turn, reduces responsiveness and flexibility. Hence, agile teams face challenges in adapting to larger-scale development. We conduct a multiple case study of three large-scale projects to investigate barriers to team autonomy in large-scale agile. Two barriers are identified: overall direction and external dependencies. We found that goals are often set by management without involving the teams, that they are often equal to deliverables and deadlines, and that team members often do not know what the goals are. Consequently, teams struggle with setting and communicating goals as well as establishing a shared direction. Organizational dependencies lead to teams having to deal with additional tasks, resulting in specific members shielding the teams from external noise.

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• Babar, Muhammad Ali; Tosun, Ayşe; Wagner, Stefan & Stray, Viktoria (2025). EASE '25: Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering, June 17 to 20, 2025, Istanbul, Turkey. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISBN 9798400713859. 1148 p. doi: https:/dl.acm.org/doi/proceedings/10.1145/3756681. Full text in Research Archive
• Carroll, Noel; Duc, Anh Nguyen; Wang, Xiaofeng & Stray, Viktoria (2022). Software Business: 13th International Conference, ICSOB 2022, Bolzano, Italy, November 8–11, 2022, Proceedings. Springer Nature. ISBN 9783031207068. 360 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria; Stol, Klaas-Jan; Paasivaara, Maria & Kruchten, Philippe (2022). Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: 23rd International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark, June 13–17, 2022, Proceedings. Springer. ISBN 9783031081682. 237 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Wang, Xiaofeng; Martini, Antonio; Duc, Anh Nguyen & Stray, Viktoria (2021). Software Business: 12th International Conference, ICSOB 2021, Drammen, Norway, December 2–3, 2021, Proceedings. Springer. ISBN 9783030919825. 255 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria; Hoda, Rashina; Paasivaara, Maria & Kruchten, Philippe (2020). Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming: Proceedings from the 21st International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2020. Springer. ISBN 9783030493912. 254 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Stray, Viktoria & Helland, Marit (2025). Viktig at kvinner synes. [Journal]. Budstikka. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2025). Derfor sier introverte Viktoria (42) ja til så mye. [Internet]. Budstikka.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria; Hanssen, Geir Kjetil; Barbala, Astri Moksnes; Smite, Darja & Stol, Klaas-Jan (2025). What is Generative AI good for? Introduction to the special issue on Generative AI in software engineering. Information and Software Technology. ISSN 0950-5849. 187. doi: 10.1016/j.infsof.2025.107857. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A major question that can be asked of any new major technology or innovation is: what is it good for? For this special issue, we invited manuscripts that answer exactly that question in the context of Generative AI and Software Engineering. We received 33 submission, which underwent a rigorous peer review process. This process led to inclusion of 13 manuscripts, which we organized according to McGrath’s Group Task typology in this editorial. In doing so, we acknowledge that not all tasks are equal, and we demonstrate the breadth of tasks that GenAI can assist in. This set of curated articles provides a variety of interesting applications and studies of GenAI technology. We conclude this editorial with an outlook on the future.

• Stray, Viktoria (2025). Teamwork Quality in Agile Capstone Courses: Insights from 790 Software Engineering Students. Full text in Research Archive
• Bernsmed, Karin & Stray, Viktoria (2025). Flere grundere på tech-liste. [Internet]. Shifter.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2024). A Case Study on Meeting Practices. Full text in Research Archive
• Rosenkranz, Christoph; Stray, Viktoria & Wiesche, Manuel (2024). Navigating the New Frontier of Information Systems Engineering. Business & Information Systems Engineering (BISE). ISSN 2363-7005. doi: 10.1007/s12599-024-00910-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2024). ESN Tools as Catalysts for Alignment? Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2024). Keynote: Hybrid meetings. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjørkeng, Per Kristian; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2023). Konsentrerer vi oss virkelig dårligere enn en gullfisk? Det moderne mennesket makter bare å konsentrere seg i 47 sekunder, hevdes det. Men noe skurrer. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Conboy, Kieran; Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria & Gundelsby, Jan Henrik (2023). The Future of Hybrid Software Development: Challenging Current Assumptions. IEEE Software. ISSN 0740-7459. 40(2), p. 26–33. doi: 10.1109/MS.2022.3230449. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). En bedre møtehverdag med fart, flyt og smidighet. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Twoday - Mer produktiv med bedre møter. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Påfyll hos NRK Produkt- og teknologiutvikling: Få en bedre møtehverdag med Viktoria Stray. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Fart, flyt og smidighet i organisasjonen. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Koordinering med mening. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). For mange møter, for lite tid til å jobbe. [Internet]. Dagens Perspektiv pluss. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Møteforskerens beste tips til mer effektive møter. [Internet]. Reiseliv1. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Møteforskerens beste tips til mer effektive møter. [Internet]. Dagens Perspektiv pluss. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Er møter arbeidsplassens største tidstyv? [Internet]. tu.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Myklemyr, Anita (2023). Å jobbe i par beskytter mot forstyrrelser. [Journal]. Dagens Perspektiv. Full text in Research Archive
• Wang, Xiaofeng; Martini, Antonio; Nguyen, Anh Duc; Stray, Viktoria & Wnuk, Kryzstof (2023). Special section on IST for ICSOB2021. Information and Software Technology. ISSN 0950-5849. 160. doi: 10.1016/j.infsof.2023.107243. Full text in Research Archive
• Kristiansen, Nina & Stray, Viktoria (2023). Hjernen blir sliten av digitale møter. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Strukturer tiden bedre og få mest ut av arbeidsdagen med disse knepene. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2023). Møtekultur og time management m/Viktoria Stray. Full text in Research Archive
• Melteig, Elina & Stray, Viktoria (2023). Er møter arbeidsplassens største tidstyv? [Journal]. Teknisk ukeblad. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2023). Pair Programming Practiced in Hybrid Work. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Ludvigsen, Elin (2023). – Nei, mobilen gjør deg ikke til en gullfisk. Norske tilstander, episode 6, sesong 3. [TV]. TV2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Er det sant at skjermer og dingser ødelegger vår evne til konsentrasjon og læring? Noen mener at vi er på nivå med gullfisker. Det er ingen grunn til panikk, sier forsker Viktoria Stray og psykolog Knut Inge Fostervold. Norske tilstander: Et informativt og underholdende aktualitetsprogram som tar opp aktuelle saker i norsk politikk.

• Stray, Viktoria (2022). Melina trodde Teams-møter skulle frigjøre tid. – Det er litt merkelig, for det har blitt mer hektisk. [Internet]. Fontene.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Grimsrud, Simen Aker (2022). Syns du det er for mange møter på jobb? Her er møteforskerens tips. [Internet]. Fontene.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria; Hoda, Rashina; Paasivaara, Maria; Lenarduzzi, Valentina & Mendez, Daniel (2022). Theories in Agile Software Development: Past, Present, and Future Introduction to the XP 2020 Special Section. Information and Software Technology. ISSN 0950-5849. 152. doi: 10.1016/j.infsof.2022.107058. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2022). Effektive digitale møter. [Internet]. YouTube. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2022). Løper du fra møte til møte gjennom arbeidsdagen? Her er forskerens tips for en god møtekultur. [Internet]. Psykologisk.no +. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2022). Den hybride møtekulturen: – Møter er ikke bare møter lenger. [Internet]. Psykologisk.no +. Full text in Research Archive
• Ravn, Johan Elvemo; Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria & Seim, Eva Amdahl (2022). Team autonomy and digital transformation: Disruptions and adjustments in a well-established organizational principle. AI & Society: Knowledge, Culture and Communication. ISSN 0951-5666. 37(2), p. 701–710. doi: 10.1007/s00146-022-01406-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The organizational theory literature is reasonably unanimous that team autonomy is a key factor for employee well-being and motivation as well as organizational performance. However, team autonomy is challenged when its processes and outputs need to be aligned with actors and factors external to a team. There are likely challenges and conflicts between team autonomy and the need for coherence in the wider system. Team autonomy has a range of implications and is challenged by a number of factors, such as knowledge complexity and decision-making, learning, large-scale problems, product and technical interdependencies, the use of platforms, virtual collaboration and diversity. Alignment with the external is particularly necessary in multi-team environments with many technical interdependencies, where a single team’s failure to deliver a sufficient level of quality may lead to system-wide consequences. Therefore, teams in complex environments increasingly need to regulate and manage their work in cooperation with internal and external partners and systems. Such dependencies challenge team autonomy. In this special issue of AI&S, we want to address these topics in more detail, particularly in the context of software-intensive organizations and digital transformations. The scope and, thus, the consequences of a team’s work can be far-reaching when the team’s effort and output take place partially or completely in fully digitized contexts and processes. The articles in this special issue show various ways of dealing with the challenge of balancing autonomy and alignment with the external. A key focus is to show the buffering function: how teams, with the help of processes, technology, new organizational forms and time and space are able to find the buffer needed for maintaining team autonomy.

• Gramnæs, Katrine & Stray, Viktoria (2021). Denne feilen gjør mange i «hybride møter». [Journal]. e24.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Ulfsnes, Rasmus (2021). Hackathon - Ikke så dumt likevel. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2021). Fortsatt behov for fysiske møter. [Journal]. Budstikka. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Papirutgaven Også publisert i Budstikka pluss

• Stray, Viktoria (2021). Vurderer å fortsette med digitale foreldremøter etter pandemien. [Internet]. Budstikka. Full text in Research Archive
• Ulfsnes, Rasmus; Stray, Viktoria; Moe, Nils Brede & Smite, Darja (2021). Innovation in Large-scale agile - Benefits and Challenges of Hackathons when Hacking from Home. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Nils Brede; Stokke, Ole Petter Baugerød & Stray, Viktoria (2021). Én av tre misfornøyd med video­møter og sam­arbeid på hjemme­kontor. [Journal]. Kode 24. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2021). Understanding Coordination in Global Software Engineering: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Use of Meetings and Slack. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2021). An Empirical Investigation of Pull-Requests in Partially Distributed Teams. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In globally distributed projects, virtual teams are often partially dispersed. One common setup occurs when several members from one company work with a large outsourcing vendor based in another country. Further, the introduction of the popular BizDevOps concept has increased the necessity to cooperate across departments and reduce the age-old disconnection between the business strategy and technical development. Establishing a good collaboration in partially distributed BizDevOps teams requires extensive collaboration and communication techniques. Nowadays, a common approach is to rely on collaboration through pull requests and frequent communication on Slack. To investigate barriers for pull requests in distributed teams, we examined an organization located in Scandinavia where cross-functional BizDevOps teams collaborated with off-site team members in India. Data were collected by conducting 14 interviews, observing 23 entire days with the team, and observing 37 meetings. We found that the pull-request approach worked very well locally but not across sites. We found barriers such as domain complexity, different agile processes (timeboxed vs. flow-based development), and employee turnover. Using an intellectual capital lens on our findings, we discuss barriers and positive and negative effects on the success of the pull-request approach.

• Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2021). Understanding Coordination in Global Software Engineering: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Use of Meetings and Slack. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Given the relevance of coordination in the field of global software engineering, this work was carried out to further understand coordination mechanisms. Specifically, we investigated meetings and the collaboration tool Slack. We conducted a longitudinal case study using a mixed-methods approach with surveys, observations, interviews, and chat logs. Our quantitative results show that employees in global projects spend 7 h 45 min per week on average in scheduled meetings and 8 h 54 min in unscheduled meetings. Furthermore, distributed teams were significantly larger than co-located teams, and people working in distributed teams spent somewhat more time in meetings per day. We found that low availability of key people, absence of organizational support for unscheduled meetings and unbalanced activity from team members in meetings and on Slack were barriers for effective coordination across sites. The positive aspects of using collaboration tools in distributed teams were increased team awareness and informal communication and reduced the need for e-mail. Our study emphasizes the importance of reflecting on how global software engineering teams use meetings and collaboration tools to coordinate. We provide practical advice for conducting better meetings and give suggestions for more efficient use of collaboration tools in global projects.

• Stray, Viktoria (2020). Mer produktiv med bedre møter. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2020). Keynote: Coordination in large-scale agile. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Nils Brede & Stray, Viktoria (2020). A Decade of Research on Autonomous Agile Teams: A Summary of the Third International Workshop. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing. ISSN 1865-1348. p. 212–218. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-58858-8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ever since the agile manifesto was created in 2001, the research community has devoted attention to autonomous teams. This article first examines publications on autonomous agile teams to illustrate how the research has progressed in the last ten years and next summarizes the result of the Third International Workshop on Autonomous Agile Teams. The workshop’s goal was to capture what practitioners and researchers in the field of agile software development believe are emergent research themes and update the research agenda. We found that the top-rated research questions are related to autonomy in large-scale agile software development. Further, the number of relevant scientific publications is increasing, and there is widespread interest in the topic at various conferences.

• Myklemyr, Anita & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Møteforsker – Benytt muligheten til å teste digitale møteverktøy. [Journal]. Dagens perspektiv. Full text in Research Archive
• Tkalich, Anastasiia & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Smidig coach: Hva har vi lært så langt? Full text in Research Archive
• Torgersen, Eivind & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Hvordan blir jobbhverdagen etter koronakrisen? [Internet]. titan.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2020). A systematic literature review on agile coaching and the role of the agile coach. Full text in Research Archive
• Mikalsen, Marius; Stray, Inga Viktoria Ågesdatter Gulli; Moe, Nils Brede & Backer, Idun (2020). Shifting Conceptualization of Control in Agile Transformations. Full text in Research Archive
• Løvold, Henrik Hillestad; Lindsjørn, Yngve & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Forming and Assessing Student Teams in Software Engineering Courses. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Nils Brede; Stray, Viktoria & Stokke, Ole Petter Baugerød (2020). Unge utviklere minst effektive på hjemmekontor. [Internet]. Kode 24. Full text in Research Archive
• Moe, Nils Brede & Stray, Viktoria (2020). AUTONOMOUS AGILE TEAMS – RESEARCH WORKSHOP. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The third workshop on autonomous agile teams will facilitate knowledge sharing about the current practice of autonomous teams and deepen the knowledge about practices and strategies that enable autonomous teams. There is a need for new knowledge on how organizations shall organize for the right level of team autonomy to attain better performance, productivity, innovation and value creation, and thus increase competitiveness. There will be short presentations and interactive discussions. Nils Brede Moe and Viktoria Stray: Opening Lucas Gren: Understanding Work Practices of Autonomous Agile Teams: A Social-Psychological Review 🔗 Michal Dolezel: Defining TestOps: Collaborative Behaviors and Technology-driven Workflows Seen as Enablers of Effective Software Testing in DevOps 🔗 Sven Theobald and Anna Schmitt: Dependencies of Agile Teams – An Analysis of the Scaled Agile Framework 🔗

• Benjaminsen, Christina; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2020). Ti råd for effektive møter på nett. Gemini. ISSN 0802-085X. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Vi møtes som aldri før – på nett. Særlig i jobbsammenheng kan dette oppleves som krevende, men det kan også være svært effektivt. Her er forskernes råd til smarte møter i det virtuelle landskapet.

• Benjaminsen, Christina; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2020). Ten tips for productive online meetings. Gemini (English edition). ISSN 0804-8568. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We are meeting as never before – online. Particularly in connection with our jobs this may present challenges, but it can also be very productive. Here is some advice from researchers for smart meetings in the virtual environment.

• Moe, Nils Brede & Stray, Viktoria (2019). The Second International Workshop on Autonomous Agile Teams, XP2019. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2019). Hvordan tilrettelegge for bedre møtevirksomhet hos Discovery Networks Norway? Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2019). Hvordan skape gode autonome og smidige team? Full text in Research Archive
• Telle, Ingvild & Stray, Viktoria (2019). Hvorfor så mange møter? [Journal]. Finansforbundet. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2019). Dr. Smidigs møtemedisin. Full text in Research Archive
• Stray, Viktoria (2019). Effektive møter og en god møtekultur. Full text in Research Archive
• Thunes, Johanne; Kempton, Alexander Moltubakk; Aanestad, Margunn & Stray, Viktoria (2026). Beyond outsourcing: a case study on digital sourcing decisions. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this thesis, I argue for the need to look beyond cost minimization in sourcing decisions. Over the last two decades, digitalization has changed the sourcing landscape, and the outsourcing literature has not kept up. It includes novel aspects and challenges, such as knowledge exchange, organizational learning, and digital transformation. Recently, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has received much attention. The problem is not only to decide whether to outsource or not, but also how to organize and govern digital solutions. The thesis explores the role of digital sourcing, the implications of digitalization, and the impact of recent technological advancements. The empirical material consists of interviews with software professionals who had experience in client organizations. The professionals were held responsible for digital sourcing decisions. The study was informed by both an ongoing set of software projects and the relevant literature. The main contribution of this thesis is a new analytical framework for digital sourcing decisions. While existing frameworks are rooted in cost arguments, this analytical framework takes a broader perspective, incorporating decision-level outsourcing. Second, the thesis contributes to the literature on digital sourcing, where empirical research is still scarce. Third, it also contributes to IS research in digital transformation and operations. Finally, the thesis presents lessons relevant to practitioners.

• Ganeshan, Nivethika; Kobbenes, Simon & Stray, Viktoria (2024). Impact of generative AI on pair programming and solo programming. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Sæter, Gyda Elisa; Stray, Viktoria & Lindsjørn, Yngve (2024). Implications of Gender Composition in Agile Software Engineering Teams. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Yndestad, Zahra Ghassem & Stray, Viktoria (2023). The Way Towards an Agile and Lean Construction Industry. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Løkensgard, Thorstein; Kristoffersen, Ingrid C.; Moe, Nils Brede & Stray, Viktoria (2022). Hvordan skape organisasjonsengasjement når alle sitter hver for seg? Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Kirkerud, Jeanette & Stray, Viktoria (2022). Coordination in agile development organizations: A mixed-method study of meetings. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Olsen, John Olav & Stray, Viktoria (2022). Business Development And Cross-Functional Agile Teams. A case study on business development in a large-scale agile software environment. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Semsøy, Susanne; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2022). Hybrid: best of both worlds or a necessary compromise? A case study on hybrid work in software development teams post COVID-19. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: The COVID-19 pandemic marked a critical turning point in how we organize work, with the software development industry being no exception. As restrictions are lifted in the wake of the pandemic, hybrid work has abruptly become the new standard of work in an increasing number of organizations. However, little is known about the benefits and challenges of hybrid work on software development teams and how to mitigate the potential challenges. Objective: This study aims to gain an understanding of how hybrid work affects software development teams and individuals. Method: The empirical research was a qualitative case study investigating two teams with different approaches to hybrid work. The teams were observed for a period of eight weeks, including meetings and communication on chatting software. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with these teams’ developers, testers, and team leads. Results: The study resulted in six themes representing the effects of hybrid work. The teams experienced impacts on team cohesion, co-location network effects for team members working co-located, and asymmetric participation in hybrid meetings. Individuals experienced changes in perceived individual productivity when working from home, wellbeing fostered by a better work-life balance, and team leads found it more challenging to support their teams. Conclusion: The thesis proposes a new definition of hybrid work and hybrid teams. It discusses the benefits and challenges of the findings in light of relevant literature. For practitioners, the study offers recommendations to organizations and teams that are managing hybrid work or considering introducing hybrid work.

• Liu, Zixuan; Stray, Viktoria & Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud (2022). Coordination in Hybrid Software Teams - A Case Study in a Large-Scale Agile Organisation. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Harr, Bjørn Henrik; Stray, Viktoria & Sporsem, Tor Thorsrud (2022). Organizational and Team Onboarding: A case study of in-house consultants and consultants working in client offices. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Hoeven, Hilde van der & Stray, Viktoria (2021). Knowledge sharing in software development: A case study of knowledge sharing practices and barriers in a large-scale agile environment. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Armana, Sara Delgosar & Stray, Viktoria (2021). DevOps, test and quality assurance A Case study of how DevOps affects testing and product quality. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Since the beginning of the 21st century, software organizations have implemented new software to deliver better services. Software releases for companies can take several months. Software solutions had become an essential part of the daily operation and development of systems and services. Since time to market is quite critical in the IT industry, to reduce time and at the same time keep the software quality at the same level, some organizations have implemented DevOps as a way to work. The emergence of DevOps in the industry has led to forming a professional movement that combines efforts for software development and operation. DevOps' implementation affects the company's structure, culture, choice of technology, and products. The ultimate goal is to offer IT services to the market faster, but fast deliveries have a risk of production failure. DevOps as a concept stands for continuous improvement of the solution and the quality of this solution. This thesis aims to identify the benefits and challenges of implementing DevOps and the impact on test and quality. The research was performed by reviewing the literature and qualitative inquiries from software managers, product owners, team leaders, and technical testers to better understand DevOps. Specifically, I wanted to explore what kind of effect DevOps has on test and quality. In this research, the researcher collected both primary data and secondary data. Primary data are collected using interviewers with practitioners. Secondary data is presented in the literature review. A software application called Nvivo was used to conduct the datasets and data analysis. The software application will convert the dataset into more deliberate data. From the literature review and interviews, it became clear that if you use DevOps correctly, it has a significant effect on raising quality. From interviews, it turned out that testers are less stressed, and testing goes much faster since it is automated. Testers were delighted since the test becomes part of the DevOps pipeline, and all members of the team members, especially the developers, become more aware of the quality they deliver. All interviewees mentioned that since they must take responsibility for management, scaling, and everything else, they take more ownership and responsibility, thus increase the quality.

• Vedal, Henrik Aspenes & Stray, Viktoria (2021). Managing dependencies in large-scale agile - A case study of coordination in distributed teams. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Tegelaár, Linnéa Egwene; Lindsjørn, Yngve & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Teamwork Quality in Software Engineering Education; A case study of the course IN2000 at the University of Oslo. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: As the industry of software engineering often requires the employees to work in a team setting using agile methods, it is important to teach bachelor students of software engineering these skills. Courses that require a project allows students to collaborate in an agile team setting, utilizing the tools seen in the industry. This gives the students an opportunity to practice technical skills and soft skills, such as communication. Additionally, they can use the theory they have learned in a practical setting, making them better prepared to enter the industry. However, team-based courses are complex to execute, especially as a mandatory course where the number of enrolled students and teams is high. Aim: The aim of this thesis is to investigate student teams, their teamwork quality, and the agile practices they utilize. Specifically, what characterizes a good student team and what affects their result. Method: A case study utilizing mixed methods was conducted in a project-based software engineering course. Data was collected through the use of a survey, interviews, and other documentation like the project reports from the student teams. The study sample for the survey was 197 students and 5 teaching assistants. Interviews were conducted with 6 students and 2 teaching assistants. Results: The results provided insight on several aspects of student teams; choice of project case, team composition, process models, and rating of teamwork quality. Additionally, the results revealed that there are several differences between the low- and high-performing teams, one of which is multidisciplinarity. Conclusion: While communication and coordination within the teams are important, it is effort that has the highest correlation to the resulting project grade for the high-performing teams. For all teams, it seems that the project grade is more related to the level of success for the individual team members than it is to teamwork quality. The thesis provides four suggestions for practice; 1) partly instructor-formed teams, 2) technical onboarding, 3) closer relationship between teaching assistants and teams, and 4) guidance on implementation of agile processes.

• Mæhlum, Emilie & Stray, Viktoria (2020). Managing dependencies in agile DevOps. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Coordination is a crucial aspect of agile software development. Managing dependencies is important for efficient coordination. Understanding what activities and artifacts manage different dependencies can help companies coordinate better and choose the mechanisms best suited for their coordination needs. Aim: This thesis aims to investigate how an agile DevOps is managing dependencies to achieve effective coordination. This is examined by identifying dependencies and coordination mechanisms for managing these dependencies. Additionally, the aim is also to investigate which barriers for managing dependencies can be found in an agile DevOps context. Method: A qualitative case study was conducted. Data were collected by conducting 9 interviews, observing 32 workdays, and observing 49 meetings. Additionally, various documents and chat logs were collected. Results: The results revealed 38 coordination mechanisms and 95 pairs of dependencies present in the development team. These coordination mechanisms manage knowledge dependencies, process dependencies, and resource dependencies. Also, working remotely, role clarity, planning, and estimation, and implementing changes in the software development process was identified as barriers to managing dependencies. Conclusion: It is possible to use a dependency taxonomy to identify coordination mechanisms and dependencies in an agile DevOps company. The most crucial coordination mechanisms found in the company included the Zendesk planning meeting, the daily stand-up, ad hoc conversations, the sprint planning meeting, and communication tools because they managed four or more dependencies.

• Tkalich, Anastasiia; Laumann, Karin; Stray, Viktoria & Moe, Nils Brede (2020). Agile coaching in Norway and the USA: The role of the agile coach in teamwork, organisational culture and leadership. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Smidig coaching har nylig blitt innført for å støtte suksessfull anvendelse og bruk av smidige metoder i programvareutvikling. Imidlertid jobber smidige coacher med problemstillinger som også hører til arbeidspsykologi, blant annet teamkommunikasjon, arbeidsmiljø og ledelse. Formålet med denne studien er å beskrive hvordan smidig coaching er praktisert i Norge og USA. Femten kvalitative intervju med nåværende smidige coacher ble analysert gjennom en induktiv tematisk analyse, noe som resulterte i tre temaer: teamarbeid, forretningsagilitet og bedre produkter. Den tematiske strukturen er sammenlignet på tvers av landene. Oppgaven tar utgangspunktet i organisasjonspsykologisk litteratur for å drøfte hvilken rolle smidige coacher spiller i teamarbeid, organisasjonskultur og ledelse. Det er foreslått at smidig coaching kan forbedre teamarbeid gjennom å fremme teams interne koordineringsmekanismer. Det viser seg også at smidig coaching transformerer organisasjonskultur i tråd med prinsippene i smidig programvareutvikling. I tillegg, forsøker smidige coacher å støtte transformasjonsledelse, noe som kan være en god basis for smidig metodikk. Sammenligning av praksisene på tvers av landene tyder på at norske smidige coacher fokuserer mer på arbeidsmiljø enn deres amerikanske kollegaer, og at de samtidig bruker mindre tid på å trene ledere og kunder. Organisasjoner som ønsker å lykkes i å anvende og bruke smidig metodikk, anbefales å gi de smidige coachene tilstrekkelig påvirkning på konteksten rundt team. Norske smidige coacher kan dra nytte av å øke oppmerksomheten mot ledere og kunder.

• Paruch, Lucas & Stray, Viktoria (2020). The Human Factors and the Hard Skills Shaping the Role of the Software Tester in Agile Teams: A Grounded Theory Study. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Standal, Andreas Hauge & Stray, Viktoria (2019). Characteristics for Efficient Autonomous Cross-Functional Teams. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive

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