Die Einfl\"usse von Arbeitsbelastung auf die Arbeitsqualit\"at agiler Software-Entwicklungsteams

TL;DR

This study investigates how workload influences the quality of work in agile software teams, especially during remote work conditions, and demonstrates that simple interventions can improve focus and work quality.

Contribution

The paper identifies workload factors in agile teams and validates simple measures like rest phases to enhance work quality through an experiment.

Findings

Rest work phases improve concentration.

Small interventions positively affect work quality.

Workload reduction measures are effective in agile teams.

Abstract

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic and the associated effects on the world of work, the burden on employees has been brought into focus. This fact also applies to agile software development teams in many companies due to the extensive switch to remote work. Too high a workload can lead to various negative effects, such as increased sick leave, the well-being of employees, or reduced productivity. It is also known that the workload in knowledge work impacts the quality of the work results. This research article identifies potential factors of the workload of the agile software development team members at Otto GmbH & Co KG. Based on the factors, we present measures to reduce workload and explain our findings, which we have validated in an experiment. Our results show that even small-scale actions, such as the introduction of rest work phases during the working day, lead to positive effects, for example, increased ability to concentrate and how these affect the quality of the work results.