Agile systems development: Privacy theoretical lens to challenge the full information disclosure paradigm.

Abstract

Software development requires intense collaboration within, across teams, and with the client. Since the popularization of agile software development in the 2000s, the virtuous effects of transparent collaboration have been emphasized. However, some studies have alluded to concerns with full information disclosure and mentioned that teams may benefit by withholding some information. We used case studies to explore such situations. We adopted a privacy theoretical lens because it is antithetical to the information disclosure lens and offers frames to comprehend how professional information can be retained by individuals, shared to restricted circles or entirely divulged. We found situations when the disclosure paradigm is challenged in agile processes. There is ambiguity in the disclosure message because individual and collective information retention do play a role in agile development. Our findings help refine information systems development philosophies and practices. We also extend our understanding of the communication privacy management theory to a context where full disclosure is preferred to privacy, and where control over privacy depends on allowances granted by a third party, which can generalize to other settings (e.g., social media platforms).