AGILITY AND AGILE ORGANIZATIONS FROM EMPLOYEES’ PERSPECTIVES: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SAAS BUSINESS MODEL

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to learn the thoughts of individuals working in an agile organization about agility and contribute to the agility literature from the employee perspective. Through this aim, we conducted face-to-face interviews with 10 participants working in a SaaS (Software as a Service) company that provides software services to its customers. We analyzed the data through the MAXQDA 2022 Qualitative Data Analysis Program. When we examined the most preferred expressions to describe agility, 70 percent of the participants used the word “dynamic” 8 times and “innovation” 7 times. Half of the participants emphasized “stress” and “speed” 5 times each. More than 70 percent of the participants stated that the positive aspects of agility are “having a horizontal organizational structure” (19 times), “flexibility” (12 times), and “the existence of a dynamic and innovative environment” (11 times). On the other hand, we saw that “stress and job training pressure,” repeated 17 times by 70 percent of the participants, was the most frequently emphasized negative aspect of agility. According to the participants, “adaptability to teamwork” and “being open-minded/ flexible” are the leading competencies that individuals working in an agile organization should possess. Studies examining employees' feelings and thoughts about agility are rare in the literature. This situation constitutes the original aspect of the present study.