The Empire Strikes Back: The End of Agile as we Know it?

Jeffry S. Babb, Jacob Nørbjerg, David J. Yates, Leslie J. Waguespack

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Abstract

Agile methods have co-evolved with the onset of rapid change andturbidity in software and systems development and the methodologies andprocess models designed to guide them. Conceived from the lessons of practice,Agile methods brought a balanced perspective between the intensions of thestakeholder, the management function, and developers. As an evolutionaryprogression, trends towards rapid continuous delivery have witnessed theadvent of DevOps where advances in tooling, technologies, and theenvironment of both development and consumption exert a new dynamic intothe Agile oeuvre. We investigate the progression from Agile to DevOps from aCritical Social Theoretic perspective to examine a paradox in agility – whatdoes an always-on conceptualization of production forestall and impinge uponthe processes of reflection and renewal that are also endemic to Agile methods?This paper is offered as a catalyst for critical examination and as an overt call toaction to engage in emancipatory scholarship in advocacy for the Agiledevelopment team. Under threat of disenfranchisement and relegation toautomation, we question how a tilt towards DevOps will preserve key elementsin the tenets and principles of the Agile methods phenomenon
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2017
Number of pages14
Publication statusPublished - 2017
EventThe 40th Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia: IRIS 2017 - Østfold University College, Halden, Norway
Duration: 6 Aug 20179 Aug 2017
Conference number: 40
https://blogg.hiof.no/iris2017/

Conference

ConferenceThe 40th Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia
Number40
LocationØstfold University College
Country/TerritoryNorway
CityHalden
Period06/08/201709/08/2017
OtherThe 8th Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems (SCIS8) will be held in parallell, sharing program, venue, social events and keynotes with IRIS40.
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