Abstract
Public organizations are increasingly adopting agile software development methods (ASDM) despite bureaucratic structures that both enable and constrain agile software development (ASD). This study aims to understand how agile coaches navigate rule-based environments by adapting practices, addressing challenges, and managing tensions between ASDM and public sector governance. A qualitative, deductive approach grounded in New Institutional Theory (NIT) is applied. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with agile coaches in Nordic public organizations and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings show that coaches adopt a situational approach, incrementally adapting practices to organizational structures, culture, and regulatory conditions. Challenges include centralized decision-making, administrative constraints, and risk-averse cultures. Coaches address these through strategies centered on dialogue, language adaptation, and trust-building, enabling gradual transformation within existing structures. The study highlights how institutional conditions shape ASDM and positions agile coaches as key actors in translating and embedding ASD practices in bureaucratic contexts.
Paper Type
Full Paper
DOI
10.62036/ISD.2026.27
How the Rules Shape the Success of Agile in Public Organizations
Public organizations are increasingly adopting agile software development methods (ASDM) despite bureaucratic structures that both enable and constrain agile software development (ASD). This study aims to understand how agile coaches navigate rule-based environments by adapting practices, addressing challenges, and managing tensions between ASDM and public sector governance. A qualitative, deductive approach grounded in New Institutional Theory (NIT) is applied. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with agile coaches in Nordic public organizations and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings show that coaches adopt a situational approach, incrementally adapting practices to organizational structures, culture, and regulatory conditions. Challenges include centralized decision-making, administrative constraints, and risk-averse cultures. Coaches address these through strategies centered on dialogue, language adaptation, and trust-building, enabling gradual transformation within existing structures. The study highlights how institutional conditions shape ASDM and positions agile coaches as key actors in translating and embedding ASD practices in bureaucratic contexts.
Recommended Citation
Havstorm, T.E., Cesko, D., Mohammad Naim, M. & Touray, F.(2026). How the Rules Shape the Success of Agile in Public Organizations. In M. Valenta, B. Mannová, R. Pergl, A. Przybylek, M. Lang, H. Linger, C. Schneider, N. Iivari, & E. Insfran (Eds.), Making ISD Sustainable: Reloaded with AI and Automation (ISD2026 Proceedings). Prague, Czech Republic: Czech Technical University in Prague. ISBN: 978-80-01-07585-2. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2026.27