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Teamwork and Soft Skills

The area of Teamwork and Soft Skills is an interdisciplinary field in project management and software development, emphasizing the importance of interpersonal and behavioral skills for the success of IT teams. This discipline recognizes that, in addition to technical competencies, skills such as effective communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, leadership, and empathy are fundamental for the efficient operation of software teams. Focusing on soft skills is essential for improving team dynamics, job satisfaction, and consequently, the productivity and quality of the developed software.

About the Area Coordinator

Prof. George Marsicano

Under the coordination of Prof. George Marsicano, the research and development line is dedicated to exploring best practices, methodologies, and tools to strengthen collaboration and interpersonal skills in software development environments. The research team, composed of experts in organizational psychology, human resource management, and software engineering, works on themes such as leadership development, effective communication, conflict management, and teamwork techniques. The goal is to create innovative and practical approaches to empower software teams to achieve higher levels of performance and satisfaction, emphasizing the importance of human development in the context of information technology.
More About the Coordinator

Research Team

Previous Researchers

Master’s degree

  1. Luciana Santos de Assis, Critical Evaluation and Case Study on the Implementation of Gamification in Organizational Contexts . Master's Thesis in Applied Computing, University of Brasília (Brazil), 2023 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Gamification, Soft Skills, Digital Transformation .
    Gamification is a way to use game elements and apply them in real-world contexts to motivate people and create a more productive environment. Considered a tool aimed at increasing engagement, gamification can be applied across various areas, including organizational activities. This work proposes a Case Study at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), analyzing the effects of a gamification solution applied to the Innovation Macroprocess (MPI), which is responsible for managing research, development, and innovation solutions for the sustainability of the Brazilian agribusiness. The main goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification in enhancing engagement, collaboration, and motivation of employees regarding the use of the Asset Management System (Gestec), a computational tool that implements part of the MPI. Initially, a study of the theoretical foundations of gamification was conducted, followed by a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to investigate the main frameworks, techniques, and effects of gamification solutions in organizational environments. Subsequently, a Case Study was initiated with the identification of the motivational profile of the target audience and the development of a project that includes the application of sixteen gamification requirements. Of these, ten requirements were prioritized and implemented for the experimentation phase, which was made available to a group of twenty-seven participants to evaluate the effects of the proposed solution. Overall, the results indicated an improvement in the motivational perception regarding the use of the system.
  2. Públio Pastrolin Cavalcante, Evaluation of the change in report quality with the application of gamification in police intelligence activities . Master's Thesis in Applied Computing, University of Brasília (Brazil), 2023 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Gamification, Soft Skills .
    The gamification of non-playful activities has gained traction in the industrial, service, and educational sectors, demonstrating that introducing game elements into an environment can make activities more engaging, fun, and enjoyable. This approach has proven to be an effective strategy for motivating and involving individuals, recognized as a valuable tool for managers. In the context of the Military Police of the Federal District, which is responsible for overt policing and maintaining public order in the nation's capital, Intelligence Activity plays a crucial role in supporting strategic, tactical, and operational decisions. This study introduces the Gamified Intelligence Reporting Process (GIRP), developed for the Military Police Intelligence System. The gamification model was based on the Octalysis framework, supplemented by statistical techniques derived from the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and document analyses. The aim of the GIRP is to improve the quality of intelligence reports through gamification, benefiting from an iterative evaluation and planning process. Additionally, the work provides a theoretical foundation on gamification, Intelligence Activity, Public Security, and an overview of the Military Police of the Federal District.

Bachelor’s Thesis

  1. Tiago Ribeiro de Assunção, Application of Gamification in the About Social Network . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2017 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Gamification, Soft Skills .
    In recent years, social media platforms have gained significant visibility in the technological landscape, becoming a predominant channel for communication and information dissemination among digital users. The Social Network About (RSA), a platform developed by a student from the University of Brasília, exemplifies this phenomenon by attracting users for initial use. However, it faces challenges in retaining these users over the long term. Gamification emerges as a promising methodology in this context, employing techniques designed to motivate and engage users in performing specific activities, maintaining their interest through different stages of software interaction. This study proposes the integration of a gamification framework into the Social Network About (RSA), positioning itself as a technological development project. The aim is to overcome the user retention challenges identified in RSA by applying gamification principles that encourage continuous and engaged user participation. Through this approach, the goal is not only to increase the platform's usage time but also to enrich the user experience, promoting a deeper and more meaningful engagement with the social network. Therefore, this work represents a valuable contribution to the field of social software development, by exploring the application of gamification strategies as a means to improve the user-platform interaction dynamics in social networks.
  2. Attany Nathaly Lima Araújo, Process of building an experience database for R&D laboratories , 2016 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .
    Employees are the main assets of software organizations and the software industry is characterized by frequent technological changes, which entail a continuous flow of new knowledge. Due to the volume of knowledge, software organizations have problems in identifying the content, location and use of knowledge, that is, difficulty in managing this knowledge. The Experiment Factory can be considered to represent the knowledge management initiative. A basic step inside the Experiment Factory is the experience base. The purpose of this work is the abstraction of the process of building a experience base for R & D laboratories, inserted in the context of Software Engineering teaching of a Brazilian public university, and that do not have a defined knowledge management process. To do this, was executed a case study in two R & D laboratories - ITRAC (Information Technology and Research Center) and LFS (Software Factory Laboratory), idealized from the need to create an environment that proposes to students, Experiences related to the development of software, processes and methodologies in this area. The implementation of the experience bases for R & D laboratories could be realized based on a process of structuring the base of experiments, within an Experiment Factory model that has been adapted to the context of R & D laboratories. The process adopted fulfills the objective of the work, since through it, was possible to build a base of experiences to maintain the knowledge generated by the objects of study. With this, the OwnCloud tool has become the experience base of the ITRAC and LFS R & D laboratories.
  3. Leandro Veloso Rodrigues, A study on the contribution of the Science Without Borders Program to the development of behavioral competencies in software engineering . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2016 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas, Fabiana Mendes . Tags: Soft Skills .
    Behavioral competencies relate to knowledge, attitudes and non-technical skills associated to the social, personal and cognitive areas. Behavioral competencies are as important as technical skills regarding the success of any software project. Many times, these skills are strongly linked to the achievement of tasks performed by software engineers. Some ways of developing these skills are related to personal exposure to new challenges and situations. The Science Without Borders (CSF) is a program which aims, among other objectives, to encourage, practice and develop non-technical skills in the Brazilians’ science students. The graduation in Software Engineering is one of the Brazilian courses that can make use of this program. However, what are the real benefits related to behavioral competencies for Software Engineering students who participate in CSF academic exchange project? The present document aims to answer this question by mapping the essential behavioral competencies for Software Engineering students and verifying how the CsF affects them. The verification of how former FGA‘s Software Engineering students observe the development of these type of competencies was obtained by a survey. According to the results of this project, the students believe that not only do they communicate better in portuguese, but also in different languages, they’ve acquired a better critical thinking ability, also they‘re more responsible and sensible to different cultures. Summarizing it, in their perspectives the CSF experience gave the support to the development oF some important behavioral competencies expected for a software engineer.
  4. Tiago Querubim, Proposal for a Set of Skills for a Scrum Master . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2015 Advisor(s): George Marsicano . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .
  5. Giancarllo Soares, Proposal for a Set of Skills for an Agile Team . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2014 Advisor(s): George Marsicano . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .
  6. Vinicius Brito, Proposal for a Set of Skills for a Product Owner . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2014 Advisor(s): George Marsicano . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .

Current Projects

Publications and Productions

Publications (19)

  1. Luciana Santos de Assis, Critical Evaluation and Case Study on the Implementation of Gamification in Organizational Contexts . Master's Thesis in Applied Computing, University of Brasília (Brazil), 2023 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Gamification, Soft Skills, Digital Transformation .
    Gamification is a way to use game elements and apply them in real-world contexts to motivate people and create a more productive environment. Considered a tool aimed at increasing engagement, gamification can be applied across various areas, including organizational activities. This work proposes a Case Study at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), analyzing the effects of a gamification solution applied to the Innovation Macroprocess (MPI), which is responsible for managing research, development, and innovation solutions for the sustainability of the Brazilian agribusiness. The main goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification in enhancing engagement, collaboration, and motivation of employees regarding the use of the Asset Management System (Gestec), a computational tool that implements part of the MPI. Initially, a study of the theoretical foundations of gamification was conducted, followed by a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to investigate the main frameworks, techniques, and effects of gamification solutions in organizational environments. Subsequently, a Case Study was initiated with the identification of the motivational profile of the target audience and the development of a project that includes the application of sixteen gamification requirements. Of these, ten requirements were prioritized and implemented for the experimentation phase, which was made available to a group of twenty-seven participants to evaluate the effects of the proposed solution. Overall, the results indicated an improvement in the motivational perception regarding the use of the system.
  2. Públio Pastrolin Cavalcante, Evaluation of the change in report quality with the application of gamification in police intelligence activities . Master's Thesis in Applied Computing, University of Brasília (Brazil), 2023 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Gamification, Soft Skills .
    The gamification of non-playful activities has gained traction in the industrial, service, and educational sectors, demonstrating that introducing game elements into an environment can make activities more engaging, fun, and enjoyable. This approach has proven to be an effective strategy for motivating and involving individuals, recognized as a valuable tool for managers. In the context of the Military Police of the Federal District, which is responsible for overt policing and maintaining public order in the nation's capital, Intelligence Activity plays a crucial role in supporting strategic, tactical, and operational decisions. This study introduces the Gamified Intelligence Reporting Process (GIRP), developed for the Military Police Intelligence System. The gamification model was based on the Octalysis framework, supplemented by statistical techniques derived from the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and document analyses. The aim of the GIRP is to improve the quality of intelligence reports through gamification, benefiting from an iterative evaluation and planning process. Additionally, the work provides a theoretical foundation on gamification, Intelligence Activity, Public Security, and an overview of the Military Police of the Federal District.
  3. MOURA, D. R. C.,MARSICANO, G. C., Proposição de Melhoria de Usabilidade da Interação entre Usuário e Sistema Corporativo , in 19th CONTECSI - International Conference on Information Systems and Technology Management , 2022 . DOI: 10.5748/19CONTECSI/PSE/ESD/7019 . Tags: Digital Transformation, Soft Skills .
  4. OLIVEIRA, E. G.,MARSICANO, G. C., Behavior-Driven Development applied in Agile Teams of a Financial Institution , in Congresso Brasileiro de Engenharia de Software - CBSoft , 2022 . DOI: 10.5753/cbsoft_estendido.2022.226260 . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .
  5. SILVA, M. V. S.,Mendes, Fabiana Freitas,SALES, A. B., PT4Researchers: uma ferramenta web para coleta e processamento de dados de personalidade , 2022 . DOI: 10.5753/sbsi_estendido.2022.222493 . Tags: Soft Skills .
  6. MENDES, F. F.,MENDES, EMÍLIA,SALLEH, NORSAREMAH,OIVO, MARKKU, Insights on the relationship between decision-making style and personality in Software Engineering , INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY , 136(106586), 2021 . DOI: 10.1016/j.infsof.2021.106586 . Tags: Soft Skills .
  7. CANEDO, EDNA DIAS,MENDES, FABIANA,CERQUEIRA, ANDERSON,OKIMOTO, MARCIO,PINTO, GUSTAVO,BONIFACIO, RODRIGO, Breaking one barrier at a time: how women developers cope in a men-dominated industry , in SBES '21: Brazilian Symposium on Software Engineering , p378, 2021 . DOI: Breaking one barrier at a time: how women developers cope in a men-dominated industry . Tags: Soft Skills .
  8. MENDES, F. F.,MENDES, EMILIA,SALLEH, NORSAREMAH, The relationship between personality and decision-making: A Systematic literature review , INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY , 111(50-71), 2019 . DOI: 10.1016/J.INFSOF.2019.03.010 . Tags: Soft Skills .
  9. Salleh, N.,MENDES, F. F.,Mendes, E., A systematic mapping study of value-based software engineering , in 45th EUROMICRO Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications , 2019 . DOI: 10.1109/SEAA.2019.00067 . Tags: Software Engineering, Soft Skills .
  10. MARSICANO, G. C.,DE OLIVEIRA, VICTOR L.,DE S. MARIZ, LEILA M. R.,DA SILVA, FABIO Q. B., An initial understanding of task interdependence in software engineering , in the 11th International Workshop , 2018 . DOI: 10.1145/3195836.3195851 . Tags: Soft Skills .
  11. Mendes, Fabiana Freitas, The relationship between personality and value-based decision-making , in the 40th International Conference , 2018 . Tags: Soft Skills .
  12. Tiago Ribeiro de Assunção, Application of Gamification in the About Social Network . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2017 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Gamification, Soft Skills .
    In recent years, social media platforms have gained significant visibility in the technological landscape, becoming a predominant channel for communication and information dissemination among digital users. The Social Network About (RSA), a platform developed by a student from the University of Brasília, exemplifies this phenomenon by attracting users for initial use. However, it faces challenges in retaining these users over the long term. Gamification emerges as a promising methodology in this context, employing techniques designed to motivate and engage users in performing specific activities, maintaining their interest through different stages of software interaction. This study proposes the integration of a gamification framework into the Social Network About (RSA), positioning itself as a technological development project. The aim is to overcome the user retention challenges identified in RSA by applying gamification principles that encourage continuous and engaged user participation. Through this approach, the goal is not only to increase the platform's usage time but also to enrich the user experience, promoting a deeper and more meaningful engagement with the social network. Therefore, this work represents a valuable contribution to the field of social software development, by exploring the application of gamification strategies as a means to improve the user-platform interaction dynamics in social networks.
  13. Attany Nathaly Lima Araújo, Process of building an experience database for R&D laboratories , 2016 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .
    Employees are the main assets of software organizations and the software industry is characterized by frequent technological changes, which entail a continuous flow of new knowledge. Due to the volume of knowledge, software organizations have problems in identifying the content, location and use of knowledge, that is, difficulty in managing this knowledge. The Experiment Factory can be considered to represent the knowledge management initiative. A basic step inside the Experiment Factory is the experience base. The purpose of this work is the abstraction of the process of building a experience base for R & D laboratories, inserted in the context of Software Engineering teaching of a Brazilian public university, and that do not have a defined knowledge management process. To do this, was executed a case study in two R & D laboratories - ITRAC (Information Technology and Research Center) and LFS (Software Factory Laboratory), idealized from the need to create an environment that proposes to students, Experiences related to the development of software, processes and methodologies in this area. The implementation of the experience bases for R & D laboratories could be realized based on a process of structuring the base of experiments, within an Experiment Factory model that has been adapted to the context of R & D laboratories. The process adopted fulfills the objective of the work, since through it, was possible to build a base of experiences to maintain the knowledge generated by the objects of study. With this, the OwnCloud tool has become the experience base of the ITRAC and LFS R & D laboratories.
  14. Leandro Veloso Rodrigues, A study on the contribution of the Science Without Borders Program to the development of behavioral competencies in software engineering . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2016 Advisor(s): Sergio Freitas, Fabiana Mendes . Tags: Soft Skills .
    Behavioral competencies relate to knowledge, attitudes and non-technical skills associated to the social, personal and cognitive areas. Behavioral competencies are as important as technical skills regarding the success of any software project. Many times, these skills are strongly linked to the achievement of tasks performed by software engineers. Some ways of developing these skills are related to personal exposure to new challenges and situations. The Science Without Borders (CSF) is a program which aims, among other objectives, to encourage, practice and develop non-technical skills in the Brazilians’ science students. The graduation in Software Engineering is one of the Brazilian courses that can make use of this program. However, what are the real benefits related to behavioral competencies for Software Engineering students who participate in CSF academic exchange project? The present document aims to answer this question by mapping the essential behavioral competencies for Software Engineering students and verifying how the CsF affects them. The verification of how former FGA‘s Software Engineering students observe the development of these type of competencies was obtained by a survey. According to the results of this project, the students believe that not only do they communicate better in portuguese, but also in different languages, they’ve acquired a better critical thinking ability, also they‘re more responsible and sensible to different cultures. Summarizing it, in their perspectives the CSF experience gave the support to the development oF some important behavioral competencies expected for a software engineer.
  15. LOJA, L. F. B.,MENDES, F. F.,OLIVEIRA, J. L., Sinfonia: orquestrando processos de negócio , Novas Edições Acadêmicas, 2015 . DOI: 978-3639698558 . Tags: Soft Skills .
  16. LOJA, LUIZ FERNANDO BATISTA,GOMIDE, RENATO DE SOUSA,Mendes, Fabiana Freitas,TEIXEIRA, RICARDO ANTONIO GONÇALVES,LEMOS, RODRIGO PINTO,FLÔRES, EDNA LÚCIA, A concept-environment for computer-based augmentative and alternative communication founded on a systematic review , Research on Biomedical Engineering , 31(257-272), 2015 . DOI: 10.1590/2446-4740.0601 . Tags: Soft Skills .
  17. Tiago Querubim, Proposal for a Set of Skills for a Scrum Master . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2015 Advisor(s): George Marsicano . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .
  18. Giancarllo Soares, Proposal for a Set of Skills for an Agile Team . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2014 Advisor(s): George Marsicano . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .
  19. Vinicius Brito, Proposal for a Set of Skills for a Product Owner . Senior Project (Bachelor of Software Engineering) - University of Brasília (Brazil), 2014 Advisor(s): George Marsicano . Tags: Soft Skills, Teamwork .

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