Process subversion in Agile Scrum software development: A phenomenological approach

This qualitative study examined the ways in which process subversion, defined as any attempt, conscious or unconscious, to work around, ignore, or turn to one's own purposes an established process, occurs in Scrum software development. Scrum is a software development methodology that uses self-...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Malone, Michael W
Format Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Published ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2014
Subjects
Computer Engineering
Information Technology
Management
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Summary:This qualitative study examined the ways in which process subversion, defined as any attempt, conscious or unconscious, to work around, ignore, or turn to one's own purposes an established process, occurs in Scrum software development. Scrum is a software development methodology that uses self-managing teams and a well-defined process but does not dictate developer practices. It has been shown in previous research that problems with Scrum can cause issues with productivity and software quality. This descriptive phenomenological study specifically examined the ways in which process subversion was experienced by Scrum Masters. The Scrum Master is a coach and facilitator to the development team in Scrum. The study revealed a wide variety of perceptions of the Scrum Master's role as well as sources of subversion ranging from individuals on the development team to the structure of the organization. The study also revealed the creativity used by some Scrum Master in responding to such subversion. This study is important because it fills a gap in the extant literature in dealing with the problems that occur when an organization attempts to use Scrum as its development process, and provides insights that may be helpful in either mitigating the effects of such subversion or preventing it outright.
ISBN:9781321121018
1321121016