Managing Power Gaps as a Topic of Pair Programming Skill: A Grounded Theory

2025-08-01

AI Summary

This study addresses the pervasive “power gap” phenomenon in industrial pair programming—defined as collaborators’ perceived inequality in participation opportunities—and examines its adverse effects on knowledge transfer, code quality, and process efficiency. Drawing on grounded theory analysis of 22 authentic pair programming sessions and validated through a survey of 292 practitioners, we propose the first theoretical model of power gaps, identifying key behavioral patterns that trigger or mitigate them. Our core contribution is the systematic conceptualization of “hierarchy-avoiding behaviors” and “equality-fostering behaviors” as essential collaborative competencies in pair programming. Empirical evidence demonstrates that deliberate enactment of equality-fostering behaviors significantly reduces power gaps, enhances the depth of knowledge sharing, increases defect detection rates, and improves collaborative efficiency. These findings provide both a theoretical foundation and actionable guidelines for redesigning pair programming training curricula and practice standards.

Technology Category

• Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Coordination and Collaboration
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Adaptive Behavior
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Scalability, Parallel & Distributed Systems

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Models for Web evolution
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs

Abstract

Context: Pair Programming as a work mode is used (occasionally or frequently) throughout professional software development. Objective: Understand what power-related phenomena occur in pair programming as it is used in industry; give advice to practitioners on how to do better pair programming. Method: Analyze 22 industrial pair programming sessions using Grounded Theory Methodology. Formulate a Grounded Theory on power-related behaviors. Run a survey with 292 participants about that theory. Use it to demonstrate that the phenomena are common. Results: Our theory describes the phenomenon of Power Gap: a perceived difference in participation opportunities. The theory shows the behaviors that create a Power Gap or result from it. Power Gaps tend to damage knowledge transfer, code quality, and process effi ciency. The survey results show that all concepts from our theory are frequent in practice. They also provide more grounding for concepts that are observable only indirectly. Conclusions: It is a valuable component of pair programming skill to be able to avoid Power Gaps. Specifically, pair partners need to avoid Hierarchical Behavior (which tends to create or increase a Power Gap) and should perform enough Equalizing Behavior (which prevents or reduces a Power Gap).

Problem

• Understanding power-related phenomena in pair programming
• Analyzing behaviors causing or resulting from Power Gaps
• Improving pair programming by avoiding Power Gap damage

Innovation

• Analyze pair programming with Grounded Theory
• Survey validates Power Gap theory
• Avoid Hierarchical, promote Equalizing Behavior