I have in this case study evaluated advantages and disadvantages with mob programming, at a IT-company called CGM (CompuGroup Medical LAB AB), in Borlänge, Sweden. Mob programming is new way to work with computer code creation or system maintenance. A group of developers works together to solve problems, like computer bugs. Only one person sits at the keyboard at one time. Like an evolution of pair programming. I have interviewed a selected number of staffs at CGM. What are the pros and cons with mob programming for information systems engineers? I have also conducted a test, with university students that study information systems science at Dalarna University. The students tested to solve a problem with mob programming, and then evaluated the test in a questionnaire. / Jag har i denna fallstudie utvärderat för- och nackdelar med mobprogrammering, vid företaget CGM (CompuGroup Medical LAB AB), Borlänge, Sverige. Mobprogrammering är ett nytt sätt att arbeta med systemutveckling där flera personer arbetar tillsammans i en för att lösa problem, som ex. buggar i datorprogram. Endast en person sitter vid tangentbordet åt gången. Det är en vidareutveckling av parprogrammering. I studien så jag intervjuat personal vid CGM. Vilka för- och nackdelar finns det med mobprogrammering för systemutvecklare? Jag har fått fram flertal fördelar samt nackdelar med mobprogrammering. Jag har även för att få fler synvinklar genomfört ett test med systemvetenskapsstudenter vid Högskolan Dalarna. Studenterna har testat mobprogrammering för att lösa ett problem och analyserade sedan testet med frågeformulär.

Programming practices are used to improve various attributes of the coding process. Pair and Mob Programming are two practices that involve multiple developers collaboratively working on the same tasks and share multiple advantages and disadvantages. The aim of this project is to identify common advantages and disadvantages of the two practices as well as some attributes that differentiate the two and help in the process of deciding which programming practice should be used for a task. The first method used to answer the research questions was a literature review that should find and list the pros and cons of Mob and Pair Programming. A second method used were interviews with industry practitioners, whose perspectives and experiences will validate the previous results, add new attributes to the practices and identify differences and factors that encourage the use of one or the other practice. The findings of the project consist of positive and negative aspects of using any of the two programming practices and a set of attributes that should be considered when deciding whether to adopt Mob or Pair Programming for the task at hand.

Bakgrund Parprogrammering och mobbprogrammering är samarbetsinriktade programutvecklingstekniker där utvecklare arbetar tillsammans för att lösa problem. Fördelarna inkluderar förbättrad kodförståelse, minskad defektfrekvens och kunskapsöverföring. Mobbprogrammering involverar en hel grupp av programmerare som samarbetar med samma kod. Båda metoderna leder till ökad produktivitet och kunskapsbreddning bland utvecklarna. Dessa metoder undersöktes i samarbete med Trafikverket för att förbättra förståelsen av deras effektivitet inom olika utvecklingskontexter. Syfte Vilka styrkor och svagheter upplever utvecklare med par-, mobb- och soloprogrammering inom nyutveckling och förvaltning? Metod Datainsamlingen bestod av semistrukturerade intervjuer och en enkät. Urvalet för intervjuerna gjordes av vår handledare på Trafikverket, som valde personer med erfarenhet av parprogrammering. (Enkäten skickades ut till 205 utvecklare och vi fick 23 svar, vilket motsvarar ensvarsfrekvens på 11,2%.) Analys Resultatet visar att utvecklare hade störst preferens för att programmera ensam i nyutveckling (43%) samt i förvaltning (35%).Undersökningen visade även att (82%) ser kompetensspridning som en anledning att använda sig av par- eller mobbprogrammering. Slutsatser Styrkorna med soloprogrammering är att det oftast går snabbare att utveckla, utvecklaren kan jobba mer självständigt och efter sina egna preferenser. Styrkorna med par- och mobbprogrammering är att kodkvaliteten ökar och förmågan att sprida kunskap. Oftast går det snabbare att lösa problem i par och mobb. Svagheterna med par- och mobbprogrammering är att det krävs fler resurser och det kan ta längre tid att göra framsteg. Följder Resultatet av denna undersökning kan vara till nytta för organisationer som använder eller överväger att använda par- eller mobbprogrammering som metod för utveckling, och bidra till att optimera deras utvecklingsprocesser. / Background Pair programming and mob programming are collaborative software development techniques where developers work together to solve development problems. The benefits include improved code understanding, reduced defectrates, and knowledge transfer. Mobprogramming involves an entire team of programmers collaborating on the same code. Both techniques lead to increased productivity and knowledge sharing among developers. These techniques were investigated in collaboration with Trafikverket to improveunderstanding of their effectiveness in different development contexts. Aim To find out what strengths and weaknesses developers experience with pair programming, mob programming and solo programming in the contexts of new development projects and maintenance. Method The data collection involved semi-structured interviews and a survey. The selection for the interviews was done by our supervisor at Trafikverket, who chose individuals with experience in pair programming. The survey was distributed to 205 developers, and we received 23 responses, resulting in a responserate of 11.2%. Analysis The result shows that developers had the greatest preference for programming alone in new development (43%) and in maintenance(35%). The survey also showed that (82%) see the spread of skills as a reason to use pair or mob programming. Conclusions The strengths of solo programming include faster development, the ability for developers to work independently and according to their own preferences. The strengths of pair and mob programming include improved code quality and knowledge sharing. Problem-solving is often faster in pair and mob programming. The weaknesses of pair and mob programming include the need for more resources and potentially longer time to make progress. Implications The results of this study can be beneficial for organizations that currently use or are considering adopting pair programming or mob programming as a development method. It can contribute to optimizing their development processes and improving their overall outcomes.

Mob programming is a collaborative software development method that has gained increasing attention in both industry and research. While the focus of mob programming is on the benefits of teams programming together, there are also potential benefits for other aspects of the software development process. However, there is a lack of research on the use of the method outside the domain of programming. This study explores user-centred design (UCD) in mob programming through a case study of three software development teams at Sveriges Television, a Swedish public broadcasting company. Results show that the teams use the method for a variety of tasks in their daily work, calling for a rebranding of the method to mob development to encompass the broader scope. The integration of UCD is analysed through the principles of user-centred agile software development. The results indicate that a revision of these principles is needed to include the cross-functional and social factors that mob development adds to the software development process.

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. / Mobbprogrammering används alltmer av dagens mjukvaruutvecklingsteams på grund av dess nya och innovativa arbetsmetod. Mobbprogrammering är en samarbetsmetod som introducerades första gången 2002 och beskrivs som ett team bestående av två eller flera utvecklare som arbetar tillsammans i samma utrymme, samtidigt, på samma problem och på samma dator. Driver- och Navigator-rollerna används ofta i samband med arbetsmetoden för att möjliggöra en dynamisk arbetsstruktur. Tidigare forskningen utförd kring Mobbprogrammering har fokuserat på dess allmänna struktur, fördelar och risker vid användning. Tidigare forskning har också undersökt hur arbetsmetoden används i olika mjukvaruutvecklingsteam. Mycket av den tidigare forskningen har studerat ämnet på en generell nivå som inte utforskar individens förhållande till arbetsmetoden. Denna studie syftade till att utvärdera effekterna av att använda Mobbprogrammering dagligen eller emellanåt gällande anställdas välmående och individuella prestationer. Studien avsåg också att undersöka skillnader mellan de dagliga och tillfälliga användarna av Mobbprogrammering. En kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer och observationer tillämpades för dess förmåga att utvinna djup och värdefull information. Deltagarna som valts för denna studie härstammade från fyra olika utvecklingsteam som arbetade på Fortnox i Växjö. Ett av dessa fyra team använde Mobbprogrammering dagligen. En tematisk analys användes för att organisera och skapa en struktur gällande informationen från intervjuerna. Tre teman med specifika underkoder skapades med hjälp av den tematiska analysen: Lärande, Team dynamik, Individuell dynamik, som härstammande från intervjufrågeformuläret. Studien fann att majoriteten av informanterna påverkades på ett positivt sätt angående individernas välmående vid användning av Mobbprogrammering. Minskad individuell arbetspress och stress var två av de framträdande faktorerna som bidrog till detta. Vissa individer kände sig dock negativt inställda till arbetsmetoden. Detta berodde ofta på att individerna kände sig ständigt iakttagna eller inte trivdes med den teambaserade strukturen. De mest märkbara fynden angående individuell prestanda var positiva i förhållande till kunskapsdelning och problemlösning på grund av "onepiece flow" som hjälpte teamen att effektivisera sin arbetsprocess från början till slut. Studien upptäckte att användningen av Driver- och Navigator-rollerna var den mest uttalade differentieringen mellan de dagliga och tillfälliga användarna av Mobbprogrammering. Resultaten pekade på en mer strukturerad och korrekt användning av rollerna när de dagliga användarna observerades i jämförelse med de tillfälliga användarna.

This research study makes a comparison of solo programming, pair programming, and mob programming on collaboration, knowledge sharing, stress levels, productivity, and efficiency. The study draws insights from the analysis of data from other research papers and articles, and an experiment, which was conducted simulating a real life developing environment for each programming approach. The findings reveal that pair and mob programming are more effective in promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing than solo programming, with the latter having an edge over the former. Mob programming stands out in terms of teamwork, problem-solving, and celebrating team achievements. In contrast, solo programming is characterized by low levels of active participation and collaborative problem-solving. While solo programmers may also exchange knowledge, pair and mob programming are better suited for fostering knowledge sharing. Regarding stress, the experiment shows that solo programmers feel more stressed by accumulating difficulties. Mob programmers experience stress in task management, while pair programmers report lower stress levels. Productivity and efficiency vary across programming practices, with mob programming displaying high quality and efficiency and solo programming achieving higher scores but with lower efficiency. These findings underscore the significance of taking into account task nature, desired outcomes, and team dynamics in selecting programming practices. Additional research is imperative to explore the lasting implications, effectiveness in diverse environments, and impact on productivity and wellbeing in the technology domain.