Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to apply the concept of organizational ambidexterity as a conceptual lens to increase the understanding of tensions between exploitation (continuity) and exploration (change) in Agile software development (ASD) project teams, and particularly the balancing (ambidextrous) strategies utilized.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework was constructed from interdisciplinary sources on ambidexterity. A literature review of publications on ambidexterity in ASD was then performed, and the results from the selected publications were classified according to an extension of the conceptual framework.FindingsContextual ambidexterity in ASD is affected by the four basic coherent concepts: time, task, team and transition. The study found that most ambidextrous factors and strategies were task and team-related. In addition, a mixture of hard (performance) strategies and soft (social) strategies is needed in order for people/teams to (be able to) become ambidextrous.Practical implicationsTo provide a better understanding of ASD, it is important to identify a broader set of ambidextrous factors and strategies that can impact ASD project teams. The expanded conceptual framework can serve as a basis for future empirical research and provide insights to practitioners on how to strengthen ambidexterity in ASD projects.Originality/valueThe contribution is of great importance for ASD research and practice, as ASD methods are a popular method for managing projects within ASD and in other nonsoftware organizations. In addition, as more and more organizations struggle to deal with rapidly changing environments, interest in the phenomena of paradoxical tensions and the strategy (ambidexterity) to deal with these tensions increase.
Highlights
In times of change, organizations both need to exploit their existing business field as well as explore new business fields (Pellegrinelli et al, 2015) in order to persist over time (O’Reilly and Tushman, 2011)
This study aims to increase the understanding of tensions between exploitation and exploration in Agile software development (ASD) project teams, and the balancing strategies utilized
4.1 Time-related factors and strategies Our study identifies several Agile practices related to the time dimension, indicating that time management is an important strategy in the efforts toward ambidexterity
Summary
Organizations both need to exploit their existing business field as well as explore new business fields (Pellegrinelli et al, 2015) in order to persist over time (O’Reilly and Tushman, 2011). Balancing stability and structure with agility and changeability is central to achieving efficiency in a changing environment. There are increasing calls for organizational agility, i.e. the ability to respond, adapt rapidly and thrive in a changing environment (Holbeche, 2018). Greater flexibility and changeability have historically been sought after in software development (Abbas et al, 2008). The main principle of ASD is about flexibility and endeavor to improve its project work constantly. It is accomplished by having short time stages, so-called sprints (Beedle et al, 1999), consisting of cycles of planning, performing, checking and acting based on drawn conclusions (Schwaber and Sutherland, 2017). Even though the Agile way of working originates in the information technology (IT) industry and software development, this
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