@article{17497,
  author = {Knut Rolland and Brian Fitzgerald and T. Dings{\o}yr and Klaas-Jan Stol},
  title = {Acrobats and Safety Nets: Problematizing Large-Scale Agile Software Development},
  abstract = {Agile development methods have become a standard in the software industry, including in large-scale projects. These methods share a set of underlying assumptions that distinguish them from more traditional plan-driven approaches. In this article, we adopt Alvesson and Sandberg{\textquoteright}s problematization approach to challenge three key assumptions that are prevalent in the large-scale agile literature: (1) agile and plan-driven methods are mutually exclusive; (2) self-managing and hierarchically organized teams are mutually exclusive; and (3) agile methods can scale through simple linear composition. Using a longitudinal case study of large-scale agile development, we describe a series of trigger events and episodes whereby the agile approach was tailored to address the needs of the large-scale development context, which was very much at odds with these fundamental assumptions. We develop a set of new underlying assumptions which suggest that agile and plan-driven practices are mutually enabling and necessary for coordination and scaling in large-scale agile projects. We develop nine propositions for large-scale agile projects based on these new alternative underlying assumptions. Finally, we summarize our theoretical contribution in a generic process model of continuously adjusting agile and plan-driven practices in order to accommodate process challenges in large-scale agile projects.},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology},
  volume = {33},
  number = {33},
  pages = {1-45},
  month = {12/2023},
  publisher = {ACM},
  issn = {1049-331X},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3617169},
  doi = {10.1145/3617169},
}