AGILE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN A “LIGHTWEIGHT” ORGANIZATION: A Case Study Analysis

Abstract

The transition to an “agile” organization remains a challenge. Despite the increasing number of empirical researches regarding “agile” software development, “agile” management and engineering practices are still difficult to implement within large organizations. To our knowledge, there is no specific framework that organizations can rely on to become “agile”. Many contextual factors, such as team size and team distribution, seem to constrain the implementation of these emergent methods. From this perspective, how can a “lightweight” team structure become “agile”? What are the major challenges faced by such project teams? The present research aims at analyzing these questions through a longitudinal case study. The study has been conducted in a French telecommunication company that strives to become agile. We adopted a qualitative approach for collecting and analyzing data. Our findings highlight the reasons that drive organizations to become “agile” and stress on the contingency factors that affect the implementation of “agile”practices and tools in a “lightweight” organizational structure.