Investigating the Impact of Interpersonal Challenges on Feeling Welcome in OSS

TL;DR

The effects of interpersonal challenges on the sense of welcomeness among diverse populations within OSS, through the diversity lenses of gender, race, and (dis)ability, are investigated, finding that different challenges have unique impacts on how people feel welcomed.

Abstract

The sustainability of open source software (OSS) projects hinges on contributor retention. Interpersonal challenges can inhibit a feeling of welcomeness among contributors, particularly from underrepresented groups, which impacts their decision to continue with the project. How much this impact is, varies among individuals, underlining the importance of a thorough understanding of their effects. Here, we investigate the effects of interpersonal challenges on the sense of welcomeness among diverse populations within OSS, through the diversity lenses of gender, race, and (dis)ability. We analyzed the large-scale Linux Foundation Diversity and Inclusion survey (n = 706) to model a theoretical framework linking interpersonal challenges with the sense of welcomeness through Structural Equation Models Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM). We then examine the model to identify the impact of these challenges on different demographics through Multi-Group Analysis (MGA). Finally, we conducted a regression analysis to investigate how differently people from different demographics experience different types of interpersonal challenges. Our findings confirm the negative association between interpersonal challenges and the feeling of welcomeness in OSS, with this relationship being more pronounced among gender minorities and people with disabilities. We found that different challenges have unique impacts on how people feel welcomed, with variations across gender, race, and disability groups. We also provide evidence that people from gender minorities and with disabilities are more likely to experience interpersonal challenges than their counterparts, especially when we analyze stalking, sexual harassment, and doxxing. Our insights benefit OSS communities, informing potential strategies to improve the landscape of interpersonal relationships, ultimately fostering more inclusive and welcoming communities.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: Research design following a Concurrent Embedded Mixed Methods Strategy
• Figure 2: Item loadings and path coefficient (p $<$ 0.05 indicated by a full line). Non-significant links are indicated with a dashed line.
• Figure 3: Responses to the 4-points Likert-scale items for "frequency of interpersonal challenges" (Left:Race; Middle: Gender; Right: Disabilities). The percentage at the bottom of each pair represents the delta, comparing the answers to frequently and occasionally. The whiskers present the differences experiencing challenges (frequent + occasional) between the minority and majority groups.
• Figure 4: Results from the follow-up survey. Practitioners answered "How much do you believe these statements hold true in OSS in 2024?" for statements derived from our findings. The list is sorted by the number of respondents who strongly support the statements, i.e., answered "completely" or "to a great extent" (number on the left of the bars). The percentages do not consider the answers marked as "I don't know."