Strategies to Introduce Agile Practices to Improve Flexibility: Is there a better way?

288 Pages·2017·6.85 MB·English

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“Iftherebenothingnew,butthatwhichis
Hathbeenbefore,howareourbrainsbeguil’d,
Whichlabouringforinventionbearamiss
Thesecondburthenofaformerchild!”
–Sonnet59,WilliamShakespeare
ModernEnglishparaphrase:
“Ifit’struethatthere’snothingnewandeverythingthatnowexists
Existedinthepast,thenwearereallyfoolingourselves
Whenwestruggletowritesomethingnew,aftermuchexhausting,painfullabor,
Withatiredimitationofanimitation!”
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Abstract
Background: Software development organizations frequently face changes that re-
quire them to be flexible. The principles and practices of Agile software are often
associated with improving software organizations’ flexibility. However, introducing
Agilepracticeshaveitsbenefitsandlimitations. Toamplifybenefitsandalleviatechal-
lenges, Agile adoption guidelines are being proposed to provide strategies for intro-
ducing Agile practices. One instance of such guidelines is known as Agile Maturity
Models(AMMs). AMMstypicallysuggestthatAgilepracticesareintroducedincer-
tain orders. However, AMMs provide contradictory strategies. Thus it is not known
whetheronestrategytointroduceAgilepracticesisbetterthanothers.
Objective: The objective of this thesis is to gather and examine the evidence on
thedifferentstrategiesofintroducingAgilepractices,particularlyontheorderofintro-
ductionassuggestedintheAMMs. ThethesisseeksifoneorderforintroducingAgile
practicesisbetterthanothers.
Method: Combination of empirical studies were used in this thesis. The data
collection was done through a survey and semi-structured interviews. This involved
analyzing the introduction of Agile practices over time, i.e. the start and/or end of
Agilepractices. Aqualitativemethodlikequalitativecodingwasusedtoanalyzedata
obtainedfromtheinterviews. Differentquantitativemethodslikeinferentialstatistics
andsocialnetworkanalysiswerealsoused. Literaturestudieswerealsoconductedto
providebackgroundandsupportfortheempiricalstudies.
Results: Theexaminationoftheevidenceindicatesthatthereisnotonestrategyto
introduceAgilepracticesthatwouldyieldbetterresultsthanothers. Thelackofcon-
clusiveevidencecouldbecausedbythelackofconsiderationonreportingthecontext
ofempiricalstudies,particularlyonthebaselinesituation,i.e. situationpriortoAgile
introduction. Achecklistisproposedtocaptureabaselinecontextualinformationfo-
cusingoninternalorganizationalaspectsofasoftwareorganization: theconstellation
ofteammembers’skillsandexperience,managementprinciples,existingpracticesand
systemscharacteristicsofthesoftwareunderdevelopment.Thechecklistwasvalidated
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bysevenexpertsinacademia. Theexpertswhoparticipatedinthevalidationperceived
thechecklisttobeusefulandrelevanttoresearch.
Conclusion: The studies presented in this thesis can be a useful input for re-
searcherswhoareconductinganempiricalstudyinAgilesoftwaredevelopment. The
checklist proposed in this thesis could be used to help researchers to improve their
research design when evaluating the extent of improvements from introducing Agile
practices. If researchers use the checklist, consistency across empirical studies can
beimproved. Consistencyinreportingempiricalstudiesisdesiredforcomparingand
aggregating evidence. In turn, this will help practitioners to make a fair assessment
whetherresearchresultsarerelevanttotheircontextsandtowhatextenttheresultsare
helpfulforthem.
Acknowledgements
IwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoProf.Ju¨rgenBo¨rstlerforhismentoring,support,
andcritiquestopushmetodobetter. IalsowouldliketothankProf. SamuelFricker
forhisfeedbackandadvise.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to Prof. Kai Petersen for his insights,
continuous assistance and wonderful collaboration. I also would like to thank Prof.
NiklasLavessonforhisencouragementandadvice.
IappreciateallthesupportthatIreceivedfrommycolleaguesintheSERLSweden
group. I would like to thank Dr. Panagiota Chatzipetrou for wonderful collaboration
andsharinggreatideas.IalsowouldliketothankDeepikaBadampudiforproofreading
parts of this thesis and always coming to my aid whenever I needed it. I also would
liketothankMonicaNilsson,forherkindnessandpatience.
Iwouldalsoliketoextendmygratitudetotheindustrypractitionersfortheirpartic-
ipationandcontributiontothisthesis. Iamalsoindebtedtotheacademicexpertswho
have provided their inputs and feedbacks on some parts of this thesis: Prof. Barbara
Weber (Technical University of Denmark), Prof. Ju¨rgen Mu¨nch (University of Reut-
lingen), Prof. Michael Felderer (University of Innsbruck), Prof. Helena Holmstro¨m
Olsson (Malmo¨ University), Dr. Eric Knauss (Chalmers University of Technology),
Prof. HelenSharp(TheOpenUniversity),andDr. MarcoKuhrmann(ClausthalUni-
versityofTechnology).
Last but definitely not least I would like to thank my family: my parents and my
sisters, for their care, love and inspirations. I would not have been able to complete
thisthesiswithoutthesupportofmyhusband,Ronald,forhisconstantencouragement,
support,andunderstandingthroughoutthistryingperiod.Ialsowouldliketothankmy
sonAxelforhispatience.Iwouldalsoliketothankmyfamilyawayfromhome,Yossy,
Octa,andAstuti.
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