Mob Programming and its impact on the developer's well-being and individual performance

Abstract: Mob Programming has become increasingly used in today's software development teams due to its new and innovative work approach. Mob Programming is a collaborative work method that was first introduced in 2002 and was described as a team consisting of two or more developers working together in the same space, at the same time, on the same issue and at the same computer. The Driver and Navigator roles are often used in conjunction with the work method to enable a dynamic work structure. The previous research carried out regarding Mob Programming has focused on its general structure, benefits, and risks when using it. Previous research has also investigated how the work method is being used in different software development teams. A lot of previous research has been studying the subject in a general manner which fails to bring up the individual in relation to the work method. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of using Mob Programming on a daily or occasional basis regarding employee well-being and individual performance. The study also intended to investigate differences between the daily and occasional users of Mob Programming. A qualitative method with semi-structured interviews and observations was applied for its ability to extract in-depth and valuable information. The participants chosen for this study derived from four different development teams who worked at Fortnox in Växjö where one of four teams used Mob Programming on a daily basis. A thematic analysis was used to organize and create a structure regarding the information from the interviews. Three themes with specific sub-codes were created using the thematic analysis: Learning, Team dynamics, Individual dynamics, which derived from the interview questionnaire. The study found that the majority of the informants were impacted in a positive way regarding well-being when using Mob Programming. Reduced individual work pressure and stress were two of the prominent factors that contributed to this. However, some individuals felt negative about the work method. This was often due to the feeling of being constantly watched or not being comfortable with the teambased structure of Mob Programming. The most noticeable findings regarding individual performance were positive in relation to knowledge sharing and problemsolving due to the "one-piece flow” that helped the teams streamline their work process from start to finish. The study found that the use of the Driver and Navigator roles was the most pronounced differentiation between the daily and occasional users of Mob Programming. The findings pointed towards a more structured and proper use of the roles when observing the daily users in comparison to the occasional users.