Transforming Strategic Management Using Agile Methodologies

Abstract

The international business environment is characterized by high complexity while gaining a competitive advantage and achieving long-term sustainability is a hard–gained goal. A key in reaching that goal lies on flexible methodologies that affect strategic management. The chapter's aim is to research on aspects related with Scrum's implementation and productivity/quality achieved, where a need for constant research exists. Systematic literature review was conducted in order to choose the most relevant studies and to code the key words and themes that seem most important to address this relationship, while two interviews with Scrum's experts came to provide empirical information. The most important aspects for successful agile methodologies' adoption are presented, while results indicate that “adoption” and “perception” seem to be the most critical factors for its successful implementation. Moreover, a widespread extended misconception about agile methodologies is presented leading to hybrid situations in strategic management where both agile principles and hierarchical control are used.