Toward an Understanding of Job Satisfaction on Agile Teams: Agile Development as Work Redesign

Agile methodologists have claimed that a key value proposition for the adoption of agile methods is that the methods´ practices, processes, and philosophy make people more motivated and satisfied with their jobs. However, while several studies have found evidence for this impact, there has not been extensive theoretical support to explain why. In this study, we use the lens of Hackman & Oldham´s job characteristics model to motivate a theory of motivation and satisfaction amongst agile development teams. We propose that agile teams are, in fact, redesigning work in the very way that Hackman & Oldham propose will increase job perceptions, and lead to greater job satisfaction. We report the initial results of a research-in-progress study. Using a quantitative survey of 104 software professionals, we test the theory and find preliminary support for our model and hypotheses.