Sustainable Project Management: The Impact of Agile Methodologies on Software Developers’ Well- Being

Sammanfattning

Agile software development methodologies have been widely adopted due to their flexibility, iterative processes, and focus on collaboration. Although technical and operational implications of Agile have been extensively researched, the impact of Agile implementation on software developers’ well-being remains unexplored. This thesis focuses on sustainability in project management by revealing the relationship between Agile methodologies and developers’ well-being. A literature review is conducted to explore Agile practices and the definition of well-being. Furthermore, the importance of social factors in software development processes is clarified. The study employs a phenomenological approach by collecting qualitative data through 10 interviews with software developers working in Agile environments. The data collected are analysed using thematic analysis to identify key factors that affect developers’ well-being. The results are presented and combined with the literature review and qualitative data analysed. The study’s results indicate a direct impact of Agile practices on the well-being of software developers and list both positive and negative effects. The interview data reveals several factors that influence the success of Agile implementations and their impacts on developers’ well-being. Furthermore, the external factors affecting the well-being of developers working in Agile methodologies are explored. These findings suggest that poor Agile implementations have a negative impact on developers’ well-being and can lead to decreased job satisfaction, motivation, increased pressure, and stress levels. The findings stress the importance of adaptations and customisations of methodology implementations. Further research could explore a larger sample of developers in diverse regions to explore cultural differences.