Human Aspects of Agile Transition in Traditional Organizations

Abstract

The agile transition is crucial for traditional organizations to remain competitive in the current market, which is characterized by a fastpace and a constant need for innovation. In order to implement this transition, organizations must adjust their mindset to the new agile values. Despite its evident benefits, the transition to agile model is complex and time-consuming, posing many challenges to organizations. Since the agile philosophy is people-centered, rather than process-centered, most challenges are related to the human aspects of this transition and they demand a large transformation in all areas of the organization. This article provides a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of the human aspects of agile transition and summarizes the existing literature into three categories: People, Management and Organization. Its main objective is to assist organizations undergoing agile transition in reducing risks related to this process, by acquiring knowledge on the challenges involved and implementing the proposed recommendations.

“It’s all about time and timing”: nursing staffs’ experiences with an agile development process, from its initial requirements to the deployment of its outcome of ICT solutions to support discharge planning

“…At the same time, they need to empower and encourage project teams to make decisions. An important reminder is that the agile methodology is not limited to technology and innovation projects; it is also valuable for clinical-care redesign [ 61 ]. The agile methodology could be used by teams to rethink their care model, starting and working closely with patients, their relatives and the larger community to ensure a care experience tailored to their goals and needs.…”

Challenges of scaling agile in large enterprises and implications for project management

“…In addition, there is a body of literature discussing the strategic advantages of implementing agile portfolio management to enable agility (Stettina and Hörz, 2015; Kaufmann et al ., 2020). Recent studies have given rise to discussions on guiding the scaling of agile practices within traditional organizations (Dikert et al ., 2016; Pinton and Torres, 2020; Sommer, 2019).…”

“…They manifest the need to coordinate work across numerous agile teams and grapple with the inertia and resistance to change often prevalent in larger organizations (Faisal Abrar et al ., 2020). Scaling agile entails a comprehensive reorganization of project roles, the modification of existing methods and project governance, and a transformation of individuals' mindsets and corporate culture (Hobbs and Petit, 2017; Lappi et al ., 2018; Pinton and Torres, 2020). Consequently, scaling agile takes on a complex and systemic character because exploring the benefits of agile necessitates the adoption of agile principles by various organizational functions (Dickert et al ., 2016).…”

How do human relationships change in the digital environment after COVID-19 pandemic? The road towards agility

“…It took years, but scholars learned to recognize that agility goes far beyond a management approach but deals with a specific mindset and leadership style (Bäcklander, 2019). In other words, embracing agility also means shifting towards agility values in terms of mindset, putting value creation, team effort, people behaviors, and continuous learning at the center (Pinton and Torres, 2020). Somehow, the two dimensions highlighted in this study focused on the professional/work, and behavioral/emotional sides are evident even in the agile frameworks.…”