Subgroups in agile and traditional IT project teams

Abstract

This paper analyzes the formation of subgroups within project teams that apply agile methods and teams that apply traditional methods. Subgroups form based on faultlines, which are dividing lines regarding attributes of diversity of the team members. We conduct case studies of two agile projects and two projects with a traditional approach. We find that the formation of subgroups differs between the two methods. Task assignment is the dominant factor that leads to the formation of subgroups in traditional methods, whereas previous ties between team members is the dominant factor in agile projects. In addition, location and language lead to the formation of subgroups in both methods. Our analysis is exploratory and our data is limited to four teams. We contribute to the literature on team formation and groups in IT project teams and show that research should consider subgroups and potential consequences when examining agile and traditional software development methods.