Bridging the gap between research and agile practice: an evolutionary model

There is wide acceptance in the software engineering field that industry and research can gain significantly from each other and there have been several initiatives to encourage collaboration between the two. However there are some often-quoted challenges in this kind of collaboration. For example, that the timescales of research and practice are incompatible, that research is not seen as relevant for practice, and that research demands a different kind of rigour than practice supports. These are complex challenges that are not always easy to overcome. Since the beginning of 2013 we have been using an approach designed to address some of these challenges and to bridge the gap between research and practice, specifically in the agile software development arena. So far we have collaborated successfully with three partners and have investigated three practitioner-driven challenges with agile. The model of collaboration that we adopted has evolved with the lessons learned in the first two collaborations and been modified for the third. In this paper we introduce the collaboration model, discuss how it addresses the collaboration challenges between research and practice and how it has evolved, and describe the lessons learned from our experience

IS Development and the Impact of Social Capital – A Case Study Experience

Social capital as a focus for organizational maintenance and development due to the mechanistic focus of organizational activity is emerging as an area of increasing interest. The research broadens this focus to the realm of system development. In this interpretation social capital is defined as the relationships that make the organization work effectively. It is the mechanisms of relationship networks, reciprocity, trust and social norms. We examine through the lens of a recent implementation of an innovative and current realworld UK Government project how social capital borne from the inherent culture influenced the behaviour of key players effecting project delays. We draw upon research experiences to provide evidential insights from the empirical setting. The aim is to increase understanding from which lessons can be drawn so that validated conclusions can inform the IS domain

Adopting agile methods in the public sector: a systematic literature review.

Abstract - Agile software development (ASD) has become an important research topic. However, despite the increase in the number of studies in this area in the last few years, there is a lack of structured information about its adoption in the ublic sector. Since the public sector is the part of the economy concerned with providing various government services, the goal of this study is to report from a systematic literature review and provide information that may enhance the understanding of the implications of adopting ASD within public companies. As the main results, we found that ASD could indeed be adopted in the public sector. The analysis suggests that a good alternative is to start the adoption of ASD with people willing to change - strongly supported by senior management -working on important pilot-projects. Second, we found that job satisfaction is greater when adopting agile methods within public companies. Finally, we also found some barriers that are difficult to overcome, including the ingrained use of plan-drive methods, as well as big bang deliveries and lack of experience in ASD.SEKE 2015

Critical Complexities, (from marginal paradigms to learning networks)

The concepts of critical theory require critical changes. Strategies of a Frankfurt school had been transformed in the new academic and institutional environment. The development of scientific research programs resulted in a flexible restructuring of research communities. The new complexity of research networks is less hierarchic, more mobile, not easily centralized. Theories of organizational learning reflect methodological compromises with respect to the paradigms and political compromises with respect to the governance structures. Nomadic, virtual and flexible research communities float in cyberspace discovering the fundamentals of democracy in an era of informational affluencecritical theory;methodological and political compromises;research paradigms and communities

Human Psychology Factors Influencing Agile Team Autonomy in Post-Pandemic Remote Software Organizations

Agile project management methods are gaining in popularity in the software industry as software development teams are being asked to be adaptive to market needs and resilient to change and uncertainty. With increasing market uncertainty, global competition, and time-to-market pressure, it is becoming a challenge to develop an innovative product and deliver it on-time without the opportunity that comes from team autonomy to experiment and learn from failures in a remote workplace. To resolve this challenge, it is critical to understand the myriad human psychological factors in play that influence Agile team autonomy in a remote work environment. The role of human psychological factors on Agile project delivery success has been largely neglected or superficially covered in extant literature. The purpose of this research study was to study the influence of key human psychological factors on emergence of Agile team autonomy that leads to Agile project success in software organizations. The findings will help Information Systems researchers and practitioners in proactively identifying and addressing human psychology factors challenges to achieve successful delivery of innovative products using Agile Scrum methodology. Using an online survey instrument, the study sampled 137 software professionals from US software companies with experience in the Agile Scrum role of Team Member. The quantitative data generated was analyzed using multiple linear regression. The relationship between the independent variables – the human psychology factors pertaining to Leadership Style, Organization Structure, HR Practices and Stakeholder Engagement and the dependent variable - Agile team autonomy is explained through multiple linear regression. As multiple items are linked to variables, the statistical analysis was performed using the median scores for each variable. One-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to demonstrate the existence (or nonexistence) of relationships between variables. Finally, an empirical model relating the human psychology factor variables and the dependent variable of Agile team autonomy was constructed for the population

Reconciling Hierarchy and Democracy: The Value of Management Learning.

Pluralistic organizations are often argued to have become an indisputable reality for senior managers. In consequence, the role of hierarchy has come under close scrutiny. How can organizations balance the need for congruence, provided through hierarchy, with the need for greater organizational democracy? As yet, the potential for management education and learning to impact on this debate, at either an organizational or a societal level, has been largely unfulfilled. This article argues that the aspirational values of liberal adult educationalists have a significant contribution to make to the management of contemporary organizations. It positions these values alongside the business requisites that shape organizations and examine the motivations of senior managers to apply these ideas in practice. The concept of voluntarism, derived from the field of political philosophy, is proposed as an alternative organizational binding mechanism that alters the rationale for the role of hierarchy. The implications for senior executives and management educationalists are considered

BUREAUCRATIC REFORM : A WAY TO ELIMINATE CORRUPTION, COLLUSION, AND NEPOTISM PRACTICES IN INDONESIA

In the whole world, developing bureaucracy is one of the primary means in country management of various fields of national life and its relationship with other nations in the world. In addition to carrying out services, bureaucracy has to interpret various political decisions into various policies, and operationally do its function in managing various policy implementations. Hence, it was realized that the bureaucracy is a critical success factor of the whole of government agenda, includ ing in the realization of clean government, in order to become good governance. However, bureaucracy is not always be able to administer or do the task and its function automatically and independently which afterwards resulting in a significant performance s. The successes of bureaucracy in eradicate corruption, collusion, and nepotism activities also determined by many other factors. Factors that need more attention in bureaucratic reform policy are completeness, competency, and consistency from all of the parties that play role in the country management in realizing and creating a clean government and good governance, and also in actualizing and implementing it in our constitution, according to the position and role of each of them in the country

Analysis of Project Management Practices Within the Textile and Clothing Industry

The common challenges faced by companies/industries are often related to the ‘iron triangle’ categories, namely: deadlines, budget, scope and quality. The Project Management knowledge area proposes a systematic approach to overcome these difficulties, with the purpose of acquiring new knowledge and skills, as well as by implementing methodologies, tools, processes and techniques. The textile and clothing industry, or fashion industry, is not immune to the same type of challenges. The products of the fashion chain are collections, which are developed according to market specifications, trends and market profiles. These specifications evolve very rapidly and, therefore, have their main objective in the development of new and/or innovative products. To deliver a new collection, the whole process of elaborating these products is executed based on a per project approach. Each collection is unique, having a well-defined beginning and end. The development of a fashion collection should consider the processes that, at the industrial level, will originate the final product, thus requiring a methodology that integrates the development of the project from the initial phase – conception of the product idea – until the final stage – start of production / launch to the market. By trying to identify project management approaches in the Portuguese textile and clothing industry, this study allowed us to conclude that, despite of these organizations considering as being developing or involved in projects, the approaches followed are not formal, structured and systematic. Furthermore, there is still no complete application of any of the known project management methodologie

Strategic Leadership Competencies

The strategic leadership literature in both the academic and military contexts is replete with long lists of the knowledge, skills, and abilities. Unfortunately, long comprehensive lists are problematic. Looking across the literature on strategic leadership, current Army strategic leader competencies, and the future environment, six meta-competencies can be derived: identity, mental agility, cross-cultural savvy, interpersonal maturity, world-class warrior, and professional astuteness.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1785/thumbnail.jp