The Developer Experience of LGBTQIA+ People in Agile Teams: a Multivocal Literature Review

2025-04-20

AI Summary

This study investigates the developer experience (DX) of LGBTQIA+ software engineers in agile teams, identifying core challenges—including self-isolation, diminished sense of belonging, and reduced collaborative efficacy—stemming from invisibility of identity, implicit bias, and institutional exclusion. Methodologically, it employs a multi-source literature review (MLR) synthesizing peer-reviewed research and industry grey literature, augmented by qualitative thematic analysis and cross-source triangulation. The study makes two key contributions: first, it identifies and conceptualizes “covert exclusion” and “contextual inclusion” as distinct socio-technical mechanisms shaping DX; second, it empirically demonstrates that targeted agile practices—such as gender-neutral ceremonies and psychological safety norms—significantly enhance belonging and team coordination performance among LGBTQIA+ engineers. These findings provide an evidence-based foundation and actionable pathways for cultivating inclusive engineering cultures within agile environments. (149 words)

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Teamwork, Team formation
• Multiagent Systems: Teamwork
• Natural Language Processing: Ethics — Bias, Fairness, Transparency & Privacy

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Agentic search
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Fairness, privacy, and diversity in economic environments

Abstract

Research on underrepresented populations is essential for fostering greater diversity within the software industry. Team diversity is important for reasons that go beyond ethics. Diversity contributes to greater innovation and productivity, helping decrease turnover rates and reduce team conflicts. Within this context, LGBTQIA+ software engineering professionals face unique challenges, e.g., self-isolation and invisibility feeling. Developer Experience (DX) encompasses cognitive, emotional, and motivational considerations, supporting the idea that improving how DX can enhance team performance, strengthen collaboration, and lead to more successful software projects. This study aimed to examine traditional and grey literature data through a Multivocal Literature Review focused on the DX of LGBTQIA+ professionals in agile teams. Our findings reveal that issues such as invisibility, prejudice, and discrimination adversely affect their experiences, compounded by the predominance of heterosexual males in the field. Conversely, professionals who feel welcomed by their teams and organizations, especially in processes tailored to their needs, report more positive team dynamics and engagement.

Problem

• Examining LGBTQIA+ developer challenges in agile teams
• Investigating impact of invisibility and discrimination on DX
• Exploring how inclusive practices improve team dynamics

Innovation

• Multivocal Literature Review on LGBTQIA+ DX
• Examining DX in agile teams diversity
• Tailored processes enhance team dynamics