Frameworks for Guidance and Coaching in Software Quality Assurance

This article examines the implementation of leadership and mentorship models within software quality management. Establishing a sustainable culture in software engineering demands not only technical rigor but also well-developed human-centered managerial practices. Existing approaches in this field are often fragmented: leadership is frequently reduced to administrative oversight, while mentorship is treated as an auxiliary rather than a strategic practice. In the context of digitalization and the growth of distributed teams, such reduction becomes critical. This study aims to conceptualize a model in which leadership and mentorship function as complementary constructs in management, directly influencing software quality metrics. The analysis of the literature revealed methodological inconsistencies—some authors focus solely on behavioral aspects while overlooking metrics, whereas others formalize QA processes at the expense of the personal and team dimensions. This article presents a typology of the models examined in the QA context; the author’s contribution lies in a systemic interpretation of disparate studies and in justifying the need to integrate mentorship models into the strategic framework of leadership. The material will be valuable to project management researchers, QA department heads, quality-process architects, and HR professionals focused on developing engineering competencies.