Implementing Scaled-Agile Frameworks at Non-Digital Born Companies - A Multiple Case Study

Abstract

For traditional enterprises to harness the advantages of organizational agility, scaled-agile frameworks seem to be more appropriate to adopt agile practices at large scale. However, the adoption of agile practices often creates trade-offs between the implementation of an ideal theoretical framework and company-specific necessities. While extant research has covered the implications and challenges when adopting agile structures, our research focuses on the how and why of such trade-offs using Socio-Technical Systems Theory. Drawing on the results of an exploratory multiple case study, we reveal that companies either choose a top-down or bottom-up approach for implementation. While the first often is triggered by the need to increase customer centricity, the latter is mostly triggered by the need to increase the number of releases. Moreover, we found that the selected implementation approach has significant impact on the key design parameters for and the content of the implementation of scaled-agile frameworks.