Return to search

Agile remote work : Exploring the Impact of Remote Work on Agile Team Dynamics and Effectiveness

Purpose – Remote work and agile project management have become prominent features of the modern workplace, valued for their adaptability and responsiveness. The integration of remote work and the agile approach is seen as a relatively underexplored area, compared to remote work in connection to traditional project management approaches. This thesis aims to explore how the shift towards remote work impacts the application of agile principles in agile teams. Additionally, the paper seeks to contribute valuable insights to academia and industry, enhancing understanding of the relationship between remote work and agile principles for practical applications and scholarly discourse.  Design/methodology/approach – The study is constructed as a qualitative study. A survey with open-ended questions is used as part of the inductive reasoning approach to achieve the objectives of this study. It employs an analytical approach based on a thematic network for its analysis.  Findings – With insights from 10 primarily project manager respondents, the study revealed diverse experiences, including both challenges and benefits within the context of this subject area. Challenges in maintaining agile principles in a distributed work setting are seen to include communication barriers, lack of informal interactions and potential loss of team spirit. This while adaptation and effective communication through incorporating online tools were identified as key strategies for improving team performance.    Research limitations – The study's limitations, including a short timeframe, small sample size, restricted data collection and analysis. Methodological constraints, such as using a survey, limited deeper exploration of respondents' perspectives. Additionally, the qualitative approach chosen didn't allow quantification of the issue's magnitude.   Practical and Societal implications – This thesis offers practical implications aimed at individuals working with agile practices in remote settings, primarily project managers. Focusing on the importance of effective communication and support, it suggests solutions and strategies such as providing training opportunities and promoting a sense of community to enhance team performance and well-being. Societal implications underscore the need for maintaining social connections in the workplace to support work-life balance and mental health, to also benefit the economic aspects. By implementing these implications, agile project managers can address challenges and opportunities in remote agile work, aiming to improve team performance and contribute to societal well-being.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-226876
Date January 2024
CreatorsAnnell, Viktoria, Eriksson, Mattias
PublisherUmeå universitet, Företagsekonomi
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Page generated in 0.0029 seconds