ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

ID: 110410284 ENG102.15

Name: ENES ÖZDEN Word Count: 1513

I. Research Proposal

RQ:

To what extent does agile management style positively influence engineering project success at
software development?

TS:

This report will argue that contrary to traditional management the agile management style has a
substantial affirmative influence on the software development to successfully complete projects
by supporting responsiveness rather than rigid planning, by reducing the cost incurred and
increasing the product quality and, by focusing primarily on communication and interaction
with the project team members.

2022 – 2023 Spring 1

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

II. Literature Review

Wafa et al. (2022) define that software project success is the achievement of cost reduction,

superior software quality, excellent code construction, customer satisfaction, and timely delivery

of software projects. In addition, Zafar et al. (2017) argue that software project management

plays a critical role in determining the success or failure of software projects, and involves the

planning, management, and control of various areas of knowledge such as cost, quality, risk,

stakeholders, and procurement.

Furthermore, Wafa et al. (2022) define that Agile Management Style is a central, decisive, and

dominant methodology for the success of software projects, enhancing software quality, the pace

to market, and the development team's morale and productivity. The Agile movement focuses on

client requirements and welcomes changes, encouraging participation from stakeholders and the

development team in incremental and gradual growth. Moreover, research by McAvoy and

Butler (2009) argue that the role of project management in Agile software development projects

has shifted from one of control to one of facilitation.

Firstly, LindsjØrn et al. (2016) define that the traditional method is traditional software

development approach, which focuses on individual work, specialized skills, managerial

decision making, low customer involvement, and larger teams. Additionally, LindsjØrn et al.

2022 – 2023 Spring 2

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

(2016) claim that Agile Management Style development emphasizes teamwork and

multidisciplinary skills, while traditional development focuses on individual work and

specialized skills. On the other hand, Altameem (2015) claim that the traditional models of

software development have failed to address the changing needs of users despite significant

investment. Additionally, Zafar et al. (2017) suggest that adopting an agile methodology instead

of the traditional waterfall model can lead to positive impacts on development cost, time, and

productivity. Another point, Nguyen (2016) report that agile management style had a higher

success rate (72%) than traditional methodologies (64%). Agile methodology is favorable due to

improved communication between team members, quick releases, and flexibility in design.

Finally, Altameem (2015) argues that agile methodologies have emerged as a more flexible and

effective approach to producing quality software.

At this point, Wafa et al. (2022) suggest that the use of Agile Management Style can greatly

impact the success of software projects. Additionally, Wafa et al. (2022) assert that the impact of

ASD on individual, organizational, software development, and project management dimensions,

finding a strong relationship between effective software development and the use of Agile

processes. Finally, Wafa et al. (2022) predict that many software companies in Pakistan still use

traditional methods and face project failures, but the Agile agenda has grown greatly in recent

years and can be used in the emerging software development industry globally.

Agile management’s emphasis on responsiveness instead of rigid planning allows for quicker

adaptation to changing requirements, leading to a higher chance of project success in the

dynamic and rapidly evolving software development industry. At this point, Research by McAvoy

and Butler (2009) describe that the Agile Management Style emphasizes the importance of core

values such as individuals over processes and tools, working software over documentation,

2022 – 2023 Spring 3

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a

plan. Firstly, Zafar et al. (2017) argue that Agile Management Style focuses on iterative

development, accommodating changes, and reducing risk, and its characteristics include

modular development, repetition in short periods, incremental processes, managing changing

requirements, and adapting to risk situations while reducing their impact on the project.

Secondly, Wafa et al. (2022) argue that Agile methodologies prioritize regular software delivery

and rely on feedback to ensure greater customer satisfaction and control.

Omar et al. (2011) claim that the agile methodology emerged as a response to changing

software requirements and accommodates iterative and incremental development through

effective communication and feedback. Additionally, the coding process in agile allowed

developers to realize their ideas in a more concrete way, which was considered as a positive

affect inducer as it allowed feedback on the design through the programming code. Research by

Kumar and Bhatia (2009) argue that Agile Management Style is highly adaptable to changes in

software development requirements. In contrast, traditional software development processes are

often inefficient in managing rapidly changing requirements. Additionally, Altameem (2015)

argues that Agile Management Style is based on opportunistic and iterative enhancement

processes of development, and they aim to replace traditional software development methods

that have inherent limitations. The flexibility provided by agile methodologies improves

efficiency and enables businesses to obtain software that maximizes their profits. Agile

methodology focuses on quality within the organizational, methodical, and cultural framework,

and it emphasizes principles such as adaptive planning, iterative and evolutionary development,

and rapid response to change. Pikkarainen et al. (2022) argue that Agile Management Style has

2022 – 2023 Spring 4

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

been increasingly implemented in software development to adapt to rapidly changing business

environments.

Finally, Research by McAvoy and Butler (2009) argue that the Agile manifesto’s value of

‘responding to change’ is what drives Agile management’s focus on responsiveness and

adaptability to changing requirements, this has an effect that increases the success of constantly

updated software development projects.

By reducing the cost incurred and increasing the product quality through agile practices such as

frequent testing and continuous integration, software development projects can stay within

budget constraints and achieve success by delivering value to stakeholders. Pikkarainen et al.

(2022) concede that agile methods have been suggested as a solution to the common problems of

long development times, high costs, and poor quality of software. Also, Lagerberg et al. (2013)

argue that Agile software development methods are claimed to increase software quality and

increase productivity. At this point, Altameem (2015) argues that one of the key benefits of agile

methodology is its ability to reduce costs incurred during the software development process.

This is because it promotes trust between developers and customers and enables the detection of

faulty code in a timely manner. Additionally, research by Kumar and Bhatia (2009) define that

Agile methodologies are designed to achieve higher-quality software in a shorter period of time

through self-organizing teams, customer collaboration, reduced documentation, and faster time-

to-market. Firstly, Wafa et al. (2022) demonstrate that Agile Software Development aims to

provide solutions to traditional software development problems, including time and cost

reduction, superior quality software, excellent code construction, and customer satisfaction.

Using an online questionnaire with software personnel, the research shows that Agile

approaches have much higher effects on productivity, product quality improvement, and

2022 – 2023 Spring 5

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

reduction of development costs. Secondly, Zafar et al. (2017) argue that the survey conducted

found a positive overall impact of the agile approach on different knowledge areas such as time,

cost, quality, and risk, provided that the approach is effectively followed by the organization. In

addition, research by Kumar and Bhatia (2009) claim that adopting Agile Management Style has

a positive impact on both productivity and quality. Finally, Wafa et al. (2022) argue that the use

of Agile Software Development (ASD) methodology is strongly linked to the success of software

development projects, with job fit of team members and ASD being critical factors for success in

terms of cost reduction, quality software, stakeholder satisfaction, and project completion time.

Agile management’s focus on communication and interaction with project team members fosters

collaboration and improves team morale, leading to better teamwork and ultimately, a higher

likelihood of project success. Pikkarainen et al. (2022) claim that effective communication is

essential for generating coordination processes in complex software development environments,

which involve various individuals working on a common project. At this point, Research by

McAvoy and Butler (2009) argue that agile development teams are empowered to make

decisions, with an emphasis on team-based factors being more important than in other software

development methodologies. Additionally, Nguyen (2016) argue that frequent communication

and collaboration in agile software development teams, including daily face to face meetings,

have been linked to improved project success rates. Furthermore, Omar et al. (2011) argue that

applying the agile approach, in software organizations can result in positive experiences and

feedback, promoting highly collaborative and coordinated teams, improving learning

experiences, and receiving satisfactory relationships with customers.

There are no differences between the traditional management and agile management on

communication in teamwork, therefore, both have no different impact on project success in

2022 – 2023 Spring 6

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

software development. At this point, LindsjØrn et al. (2016) claim that although the significance

of teamwork quality in agile teams is stressed, a study found that there is no notable distinction

in teamwork quality between agile and traditional teams, therefore, both have similar effect on

project success in software development. On the other hand, Wafa et al. (2022) argue that the

Agile approach has a positive impact on the success of a project, and the job fit mediates the

impact between the Agile method and project success. Additionally, Altameem (2015) argues

that Agile methodology impacts software development positively by enabling developers to

commit their efforts towards achieving project objectives and by promoting effective

communication strategies between teams and stakeholders. The use of agile methodology also

encourages collaboration and coordination among team members during the development

process, which leads to the production of high-quality software. Finally, Pikkarainen et al.

(2022) claim that agile practices are increasingly being used in organizations to enhance

communication and improve the organization's ability to adapt to changes in turbulent business

environments.

2022 – 2023 Spring 7

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

III. References (APA Format)

Altameem, E. A. (2015). Impact of agile methodology on software development. Computer and

Information Science.

0cdcb498461fd533ac7f125546c1d3ec0f28.pdf (semanticscholar.org)

Lagerberg, L., Skude, T., Emanuelsson, P., Sandahl, K., & Ståhl, D. (2013, October). The impact of agile

principles and practices on large-scale software development projects: A multiple-case study of two

projects at ericsson. In 2013 ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and

Measurement (pp. 348-356). IEEE.

The Impact of Agile Principles and Practices on Large-Scale Software Development Projects: A Multiple-

Case Study of Two Projects at Ericsson | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore

Lindsjørn, Y., Sjøberg, D. I., Dingsøyr, T., Bergersen, G. R., & Dybå, T. (2016). Teamwork quality and

project success in software development: A survey of agile development teams. Journal of Systems and

Software.

Teamwork quality and project success in software development: A survey of agile development teams -

ScienceDirect

2022 – 2023 Spring 8

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

Kumar, G., & Bhatia, P. K. (2012). Impact of agile methodology on software development

process. International Journal of Computer Technology and Electronics Engineering (IJCTEE).

 (researchgate.net)

McAvoy, J., & Butler, T. (2009). The role of project management in ineffective decision making within

Agile software development projects. European Journal of Information Systems.

Full article: The role of project management in ineffective decision making within Agile software

development projects (tandfonline.com)

Nguyen, D. S. (2016). Success factors that influence agile software development project

success. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences.

Success-Factors-That-Influence-Agile-Software-Development-Project-Success.pdf (researchgate.net)

Omar, M., Syed-Abdullah, S. L., & Yasin, A. (2011). The impact of agile approach on software engineering

teams. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration

The Impact of Agile Approach on Software Engineering Teams (repec.org)

Pikkarainen, M., Haikara, J., Salo, O., Abrahamsson, P., & Still, J. (2008). The impact of agile practices on

communication in software development. Empirical Software Engineering.

The impact of agile practices on communication in software development | SpringerLink

Wafa, R., Khan, M. Q., Malik, F., Abdusalomov, A. B., Cho, Y. I., & Odarchenko, R. (2022). The Impact of

Agile Methodology on Project Success, with a Moderating Role of Person’s Job Fit in the IT Industry of

Pakistan. Applied Sciences.

Applied Sciences | Free Full-Text | The Impact of Agile Methodology on Project Success, with a

Moderating Role of Person’s Job Fit in the IT Industry of Pakistan (mdpi.com)

2022 – 2023 Spring 9

 ENG102 – A3: Draft Literature Review

Zafar, I., Nazir, A. K., & Abbas, M. (2017, October). The impact of agile methodology (DSDM) on software

project management. In Circulation in Computer Science: International Conference on Engineering,

Computing and Information Technology.

The Impact of Agile Methodology (DSDM) on Software Project Management (researchgate.net)

Online Drive: How and where can I reach these articles?

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bengYESk4Mq5X8SdfCFJEdl1XXRxOjuo?usp=sharing

2022 – 2023 Spring 10