A theory on human factors in DevOps adoption

Context: DevOps is a software engineering paradigm that enables faster deliveries and higher quality products. However, DevOps adoption is a complex process that is still insufficiently supported by research. In addition, human factors are the main difficulty for a successful DevOps adoption, although very few studies address this topic. Objective: This paper addresses two research gaps identified in literature, namely: (1) the characterization of DevOps from the perspective of human factors, i.e. the description of DevOps' human characteristics to better define it, and (2) the identification and analysis of human factors' effect in the adoption of DevOps. Method: We employed a hybrid methodology that included a Systematic Mapping Study followed by the application of a clustering technique. A questionnaire for DevOps practitioners (n = 15) ) was employed as an evaluation method. Results: A total of 59 human factors related to DevOps were identified, described, and synthesized. The results were used to build a theory on DevOps human factors. Conclusion: The main contribution of this paper is a theory proposal regarding human factors in DevOps adoption. The evaluation results show that almost every human factor identified in the mapping study was found relevant in DevOps adoption. The results of the study represent an extension of DevOps characterization and a first approximation to human factors in DevOps adoption.