Organizational Type Mismatch in Agile SMEs

Abstract

Organizational type mismatch occurs when organizations use traditional approaches to govern agile teams. It has harmful effects on organizational performance and team morale. This article explores this phenomenon at agile software development small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In particular, we aimed to evaluate the importance, frequency, and agility level of governance practices in this context. To do this, we developed a survey underpinned by CMMI-DEV V2.0 governance practices. We collected information from 50 practitioners working at 39 agile SMEs from 12 countries. Our quantitative and qualitative analysis shows that most of the surveyed agile SMEs consider that governance practices are important. However, only a few frequently implement such practices, and those that do fail to adopt an agile approach. These results suggest that agile SMEs are also prone to organizational type mismatch. We provide some recommendations to address this issue.