Issues and challenges impacting the successful management of agile-hybrid projects: A grounded theory approach

• Main Authors: Sithambaram, Jayasaegaran, Md Nasir, Mohd Hairul Nizam, Ahmad, Rodina
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier Sci Ltd 2021
• Subjects: QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/27607/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

The demand for success in agile projects requires serious attention in addressing its issues and challenges, besides merely implementing suitable agile methods. A comprehensive number of factors have been discussed in the literature, but it does not reflect the crucial challenges confronted by the Information Technology industry. This study utilises a Grounded Theory approach, to capture 38 unique issues and challenges faced by 42 participating industry practitioners, through several rounds of interviews. The issues and challenges, simplified as factors, were grouped into Organisation, People, Process and Technical categories. The proposed mitigation methods were also captured, and mapped into a framework, to be used as a guide to manage agile-hybrid projects. Most factors were related to the process and people categories. Key issues were in the areas of executive support, misalignment of agile methods with the business objectives, deficient understanding of agile principles, lack of teamwork and inadequate skillset of the project stakeholders.