Context: In agile transformations, there are many challenges such as alignment between agile practices and the organizational goals and strategies or issues with shifts in how work is organized and executed. One very important challenge but less considered and treated in research are cultural challenges associated with an agile mindset. Although research shows that cultural clashes and general organizational resistance to change are part of the most significant agile adoption barriers. Objective: We identify challenges that arise from the interplay between agile culture and organizational culture. In doing so, we tackle this field and come up with important contributions for further research regarding a problem that practitioners face today. Method: This is done with a mixed-method research approach. First, we gathered qualitative data among our network of agile practitioners and derived in sum 15 challenges with agile culture. Then, we conducted quantitative data by means of a questionnaire study with 92 participants. Results: We identified 7 key challenges out of the 15 challenges with agile culture. These key challenges refer to the technical agility (doing agile) and the cultural agility (being agile). The results are presented in type of a conceptual model named the Agile Cultural Challenges (ACuCa). Conclusion: Based on our results, we started deriving future work aspects to do more detailed research on the topic of cultural challenges while transitioning or using agile methods in software development and beyond.
翻译:背景:在敏捷转型过程中,存在诸多挑战,例如敏捷实践与组织目标及战略之间的协调问题,或工作组织与执行方式转变引发的问题。其中一项至关重要但研究中较少关注和处理的是与敏捷思维模式相关的文化挑战。尽管研究表明文化冲突及组织对变革的普遍阻力是敏捷采纳过程中最主要的障碍之一。目标:我们旨在识别敏捷文化与组织文化相互作用所产生的挑战。通过这一研究,我们深入探讨该领域,并为当前从业者面临的问题提出具有重要价值的研究方向。方法:本研究采用混合方法研究路径。首先,我们通过敏捷实践者网络收集定性数据,归纳出15项敏捷文化相关挑战;随后通过92名参与者参与的问卷调查开展定量研究。结果:我们从15项挑战中识别出7项关键挑战,这些挑战涉及技术敏捷性(实施敏捷)与文化敏捷性(成为敏捷)。研究成果以名为"敏捷文化挑战模型"的概念模型形式呈现。结论:基于研究结果,我们开始规划未来研究方向,旨在对软件开发及其他领域转型或应用敏捷方法过程中的文化挑战议题开展更深入的专题研究。