When Agile Harms Learning and Innovation: (and What Can Be Done About It)

What is it about?

Originally developed for software development, Agile approaches are increasingly adopted by organizations that seek flexibility in the face of rapid change. However, little attention has been paid to the potential negative consequences of the implementation of Agile in large-scale settings. This article presents the results of a multi-site study of a multinational telecom company over five years during its implementation of Agile practices in the context of large-scale software development. The article points to six potential pitfalls of implementing such practices that may negatively influence individual learning, ideation, and exploitation capabilities. It offers advice on how to avoid these consequences in large, established firms.

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Why is it important?

------------------------------------------------------- Contribution to Academic Scholarship ------------------------------------------------------- This article clarifies how the implementation of Agile practices in large-scale settings can have detrimental consequences for ideation and learning capabilities. It identifies six specific pitfalls of such implementation, and offers tools that may help avoiding negative consequences of Agile implementation. ------------------------------------------------------- Contribution to Management Practice ------------------------------------------------------- Same as above. ---------------------------- Author Perspective ---------------------------- Same as above.