Synthesizing researches on Knowledge Management and Agile Software Development using the Meta-ethnography method

Abstract Context: Software development processes are considered as knowledge intensive and therefore Knowledge Management (KM) can be applied to efficiently manage the knowledge generated. Agile practices can benefit software organizations in terms of KM. Some studies have already presented evidence about this relationship. However, the intersection of these two areas still requires further clarification. Objective: This study synthesizes research on KM and Agile Software Development (ASD) using the meta-ethnography method considering Scrum and XP frameworks. Method: In order to achieve the proposed goal, first, a diagnostic was conducted in different project domains with agile and traditional software development in order to identify the performance of KM activities. Second, the phases of the meta-ethnography analysis method were applied in a set of studies selected from a tertiary review on KM and ASD, as well as classic guides and area references. Finally, the relationships that were identified among the areas investigated were analyzed from interviews with agile development methodology experts. Results: The most common activity investigated between KM and ASD is knowledge sharing. However, in the practical view of software development companies, the attention is on how to use the generated knowledge. Conclusion: The clarification of how KM is present in each agile value, practices, and artifacts allows a reflection on how much knowledge was created, shared, and applied during ASD. Besides, such results presented in this study enable organizations to know each other better and to explore more each KM activity, thus contributing to delivering more value to the customer.