Problematic workplace behaviours in the software development profession: Using transactional analysis to diagnose toxicity and improve relationships at work

The growing and unmet demand for coding skills is becoming critical in a world that is ever-more driven by digital technologies, embedded algorithms and artificial intelligence systems. However, sustainability of the profession is threatened because of the failure to attract and retain women developers, which has been an ongoing and corrosive problem for decades and remains unresolved. While many previous studies attribute ‘toxic’ workplace cultures in the software development industry, as a major contributing factor, few examine their root causes and almost none offer practical solutions. To address this lack of both knowledge and effective response, we propose a novel approach building on psychoanalytical Transactional Analysis (TA) theory that is little used in the field of management and organisation studies. TA theory provides a framework using common and simplified language to better understand why communications in the workplace fail, and how occupying incompatible ego states might lead to ‘negative’, ‘problematic’ and, in the worst cases, ‘toxic’ behaviours and workplaces. We propose a TA-based model (OCTAPos) that helps explain how crossed communications at work can result in a lack of acceptance of women in the workplace and attrition among female software developers and the resultant dearth of diverse coders. We further propose a theoretically informed HRM Structured TA Response (STAR) to help increase self-awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy and mutual understanding, with the ultimate aim of positively impacting prevailing attitudes, behaviours and organisational culture to achieve more inclusive and sustainable recruitment and retention in the longer term.