Using Activity Theory to Understand Contradictions in Collaborative Software Development

Activity theory is an analytical framework that has been used successfully to understand and explain collective work. Software development is of course one particular kind of collective work. In this paper, we use activity theory to analyze the collaborative work of a software development team. Using this framework, we were able to identify different tensions within and contradictions between activities performed by the developers in the team, including software tools and practices. We argue that these tensions and contradictions illuminate opportunities for improvements in the work and for software engineering researchers. Additionally, we believe that the successful application of activity theory to understanding collaborative software development is a step towards further understanding this framework and adapting it to general use.