Beyond the agile methods: a diagnostic tool to support the development of hybrid models
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business
ISSN: 1753-8378
Article publication date: 18 February 2021
Issue publication date: 6 July 2021
Abstract
Purpose
While agile methods have been adapted to different industries, agility depends on the alignment between the practices and project environment. Nevertheless, it is unlikely to find the best combination without a diagnosis of these variables. This paper proposes a project management agility diagnostic tool (PM/ADT), aimed at diagnosing the project environment, management practices and agility performance to find the right balance between them.
Design/methodology/approach
The tool was developed by combining multiple techniques during a three-year research program, including an extensive systematic literature review, exploratory case studies, a survey and three case studies involving 25 projects from information and communications technology, software development and technology-based companies.
Findings
The results indicate potential discrepancies between environmental factors, management practices and agility performance that affect project management in organizations, allowing the diagnosis and analysis of the situation for the development of better management solutions.
Research limitations/implications
The study reinforces the hypothesis that it may not be possible to adopt pure agile models or methods in most projects, except in specific cases, as with some projects in the software industry. This is in line with the hybrid models. However, further testing is needed with a larger sample of projects and organizations.
Practical implications
The tool can be useful to assess different types of projects from different industry sectors to improve the management process, allowing the development of agility beyond the software industry.
Originality/value
The article discusses agility beyond measurement, assessing the most appropriate environment for using practices from one approach or another.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for financial support from FAPESP (2009/18267-8 and 2009/16514-8) and CAPES (Finance Code 001). We also thank the researchers who contributed to the testing of the tool: Juliana P. Schnetzler, Luís F. M. Almeida, Samuel Eder, Jony A. Santos, Caio A. N. Marques and Matheus da S. Castro. We appreciate the thoughtful comments and valuable contributions from all the reviewers that significantly improved the quality of this work.
Citation
Bianchi, M.J., Conforto, E.C. and Amaral, D.C. (2021), "Beyond the agile methods: a diagnostic tool to support the development of hybrid models", International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 1219-1244. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-04-2020-0119
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited