I have finished my PhD … These are five wonderful words! Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, there will be no ceremonial graduations at Wits University this year, but it was a significant milestone to receive the letter. I have been studying Agile software development teams in large organisations for the past 4 years using a research …
My human-factors research on Agile software development teams is developing a theory about what is going on in their environment, specifically regarding the impact of management and leadership in large organisations. Part 1 – introduces the core category of “Personifying Practices” as a way of explaining certain human interaction Part 2 (this article) – constructs the theory in more …
“Personifying Practices” – A theory of Agile teams, Part 2 Read More »
My human-factors research on Agile software development teams is developing a theory about what is going on in their environment, specifically regarding the impact of management and leadership in large organisations. Part 1 (This article) – introduces the core category of “Personifying Practices” as a way of explaining certain human interaction Part 2 – constructs …
“Personifying Practices” – A theory of Agile teams, Part 1 Read More »
This article provides initial results from ongoing research into Agile software development teams in large companies. Such teams usually depend on management’s policies and processes to establish and run their organisational environment, while they focus on the job of delivering great software. The Agile Manifesto specifies that such environments must be supportive and we must, …
The annual conference of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists is an opportunity for academics and practitioners to present the latest research in their fields. Hosted this year by Central University of Technology and University of the Free State the humanitarian theme of the 23rd event was intended to stimulate debate …
SAICSIT 2017: “Computing for humanity in today’s world” Read More »
FNB Codefest is an Innovation contest run annually by FNB which includes a 48 hour coding marathon during which developers build innovative solutions to business problems. Three codefests have been held, two in 2015 and the third one in October 2016 which attracted over 250 participants who created over 30 working prototypes. A total of …
Managers can help Agile projects succeed if they understand their environment better. The previous article considered practical examples of how managers are affecting the environments of Agile projects in large organisations. While there are benefits to adopting Agile methods, most of its research and methodologies are focused on the inside-out aspects of running software development …
Agile in the Enterprise – A scenario model to help managers succeed: Part 2 of 2 Read More »
From one manager to another – you need to rethink your model of leadership. Agile Software development has its roots in iterative product development characterised by small, autonomous teams that are highly empowered. As early as 1986, Harvard Business professor of Strategy Hirota Takeuchi proposed changing the “relay race” or sequential approach of product development …
Creating the Best Environment for Succeeding at Agile:Part 1 of 2 Read More »
I presented to the MIT850 students at UP about the state of Agile in South African organisations. The slides and video of the lecture are below as well as the overall outline of the presentation; IT Projects Today Sample Survey Results (these questions were provided before the lecture) Evolution of Agile Thinking (the 8 pre-read papers …
University of Pretoria Guest Lecture: Agile in SA Organisations Read More »
Top 3 takeaways: Agile environments in large organisations are unique and require effective leadership from management Management operates on transactional leadership; creates conflicts with Agile principles of empowerment It is possible for Agile teams to influence upwards; it is possible for management to adopt Agile successfully Slide 1 – Leadership is everything that comes to mind when …
“Leadership and Agile” – My zero-text slides from Scrum Gathering 2015 Read More »
