Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to analyze the degree of contribution of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of organizations in the use of agile methods (AM) in project management. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach with the application of a survey with project professionals resulted in 206 valid answers. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and the method of partial least squares (PLS). Findings The results present empirical evidence of the significant contribution of EO in the use of AM in project management, confirming the main hypothesis of this study. This effect was not influenced by the control variables tested. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the development of research on AM and minimizes the literature gap on the connection between entrepreneurship and AM. The results are limited to the sample. Studies with broader samples and different segments are suggested, as well as the contribution of each dimension of the EO to AM. Practical implications Innovativeness, risk-taking, proactiveness, autonomy and competitive aggressiveness (EO dimensions) can contribute to the use of AM and guide actions to develop these behaviors, pursuing better adherence to agile values and the use of AM in project management. Originality/value The originality of this study regarding the connection between EO and AM lies on the presentation of a theoretical model of this relationship and reduces the gap in this research field. Given the degree of EO contribution in AM (19.7%), there are other factors that affect the use of AM in project management that should be investigated.
Highlights
One of the factors for the successful implementation of the agile methodology (AM) is related to the company’s culture and the impact on the project team, as it is necessary to prepare the team for its implementation (Rasnacis & Berzisa, 2017)
In terms of managerial contributions, the results suggest that entrepreneurial orientation (EO), characterized by innovative behaviors, risk-taking, proactiveness, autonomy and competitive aggressiveness, contributes positively to the use of agile methods (AM) in project management, characterized by some agile values (Beck et al, 2001): individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation and responding to change over following a plan
To validate the structural model, Pearson’s determination coefficients test (R2) or explained variance was used initially, which shows the percentage of variance of the dependent latent variable (LV) (AM) that is explained by the independent LV (EO)
Summary
One of the factors for the successful implementation of the agile methodology (AM) is related to the company’s culture and the impact on the project team, as it is necessary to prepare the team for its implementation (Rasnacis & Berzisa, 2017). Characteristics such as entrepreneurial culture, self-managed teams and autonomy in decision-making are considered important for the adoption of AM (Conforto, Salum, Amaral, Silva, & Almeida, 2014), which refers to the concept of entrepreneurship at the organizational level. One of the possibilities recently indicated is related to the incorporation of theories of entrepreneurship to improve research on agile development and reveal the relationships between the practice of entrepreneurship and the practice of agile development (Tolfo et al, 2018)
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