Examining the roles of team and managerial competencies in achieving a successful agile transformation

Öz

Agile transformation has been widely adopted, particularly in the software and telecommunications industries, to enhance flexibility and customer orientation in project management processes. However, considering that many transformation efforts undertaken since the concept was first proposed have remained incomplete, and those that were completed have largely ended in failure, the success of this transformation, as emphasized in both theory and practice, is directly related to the human factor. For this purpose, the study aims to identify and prioritize the competencies that are critical to the success of agile transformation. Within the scope of two separate decision models developed based on a literature review and expert opinions, 25 and 28 competencies related to team members and project managers, respectively, were grouped into eight categories and evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. According to the findings, the most important competency groups for both roles are communication and teamwork. “Self-organization” for team members and “verbal communication” for project managers emerged as the most critical sub-competencies. It was also revealed that, particularly in the telecommunications industry, technical knowledge and work experience are given greater importance. This study makes a significant contribution to the literature as no other study has been identified that focuses on team-related factors highlighted in macro-level research on agile transformation success and to examine the required competencies of both team members and project managers through a comprehensive model. Moreover, it provides practical guidance for selecting individuals who will take part in the agile transformation process and for accurately identifying areas for development.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Agile transformation
• project team
• project manager
• competency
• AHP

Çevik dönüşümün başarısında rol oynayan ekip ve yönetici yetkinliklerinin incelenmesi

Öz

Çevik dönüşüm, özellikle yazılım ve telekomünikasyon sektörlerinde proje yönetim süreçlerinde esneklik ve müşteri odaklılık sağlamak amacıyla yaygın şekilde benimsenmektedir. Önerildiği günden bu yana gerçekleştirilen dönüşüm hamlelerinin yarım kaldığı, tamamlananların da büyük oranda başarısızlıkla sonuçlandığı göz önünde bulundurulduğunda, uygulamada ve teoride vurgulandığı üzere bu dönüşümün başarısı, insan boyutuyla doğrudan ilişkilidir. Bu amaçla, çevik dönüşümün başarısında kritik olan yetkinliklerin belirlenmesi ve önceliklendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Literatür taraması ve uzman görüşleri doğrultusunda geliştirilen iki ayrı karar modeli kapsamında, ekip üyeleri ve proje yöneticilerine ait sırasıyla 25 ve 28 yetkinlik sekiz ortak grupta toplanmış, Analitik Hiyerarşi Süreciyle değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgulara göre, her iki grup için en önemli yetkinlik grupları iletişim ve ekip çalışmasıdır. Ekip üyeleri için “kendi kendini organize etme”, proje yöneticileri için “sözlü iletişim” en önemli alt yetkinlikler olarak öne çıkmıştır. Özellikle telekomünikasyon sektöründe teknik bilgi ve iş deneyimine daha fazla önem atfedildiği ortaya konmuştur. Bu çalışma, çevik dönüşümün başarı faktörlerine ilişkin yapılan makro düzeydeki çalışmalarda öne çıkan ekibe ilişkin faktörlere odaklanan ve hem ekip üyeleri hem de proje yöneticilerinin sahip olması gereken yetkinlikleri kapsamlı bir model üzerinden inceleyen başka bir çalışma tespit edilememiş olması sebebiyle literatüre önemli bir katkı sunmaktadır. Ayrıca, çevik dönüşüm sürecinde rol alacak bireylerin seçimi ve gelişim alanlarının doğru belirlenebilmesi açısından uygulayıcılara yol gösterici niteliktedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çevik dönüşüm
• proje ekibi
• proje yöneticisi
• yetkinlik
• AHS

Etik Beyan

Veri toplama süreci, İTÜ Sosyal ve Beşerî Bilimler İnsan Araştırmaları Etik Kurulu 498 numaralı proje onayıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir.

Kaynakça

1. 1. Williams T., Assessing and moving on from the dominant project management discourse in the light of project overruns, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 52 (4), 497-508, 2005.
2. 2. Beck K., Beedle M., Van Bennekum A., Cockburn A., Cunningham W., Fowler M., Grenning J., Highsmith J., Hunt A., Jeffries R., The agile manifesto. https://agilemanifesto.org/, Yayın tarihi 2001, Erişim tarihi Şubat 10, 2024.
3. 3. Chow T., Cao D.-B., A survey study of critical success factors in agile software projects, Journal of Systems and Software, 81 (6), 961-971, 2008.
4. 4. Stankovic D., Nikolic V., Djordjevic M., Cao D.-B., A survey study of critical success factors in agile software projects in former Yugoslavia IT companies, Journal of systems and software, 86 (6), 1663-1678, 2013.
5. 5. Ciric D., Lalic B., Gracanin D., Tasic N., Delic M., Medic N., Agile vs. Traditional approach in project management: Strategies, challenges and reasons to introduce agile, Procedia Manufacturing, 39, 1407-1414, 2019.
6. 6. Standish Group Reports, Save Your IT Project (Standish Chaos Report 2021), https://www.standishgroup.com/, Yayın tarihi Kasım 25, 2021, Erişim tarihi Ağustos 23, 2024.
7. 7. Ali J., Impact Engineering: Transforming Beyond Agile Project Management, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, 2024.
8. 8. Misra S.C., Kumar V., Kumar U., Identifying some important success factors in adopting agile software development practices, Journal of Systems and Software, 82 (11), 1869-1890, 2009.

9. 9. Tam C., da Costa Moura E.J., Oliveira T., Varajão J., The factors influencing the success of on-going agile software development projects, International Journal of Project Management, 38 (3), 165-176, 2020.
10. 10. Hoda R., Murugesan L.K., Multi-level agile project management challenges: A self-organizing team perspective, Journal of Systems and Software, 117, 245-257, 2016.
11. 11. Javidan M., Core competence: what does it mean in practice?, Long Range Planning, 31 (1), 60-71, 1998.
12. 12. McClelland D.C., Testing for competence rather than for" intelligence.", American Psychologist, 28 (1), 1-14, 1973.
13. 13. Vazirani N., Competencies and Competency Model-A Brief Overview of its Development and Application., SIES Journal of Management, 7 (1), 121-131, 2010.
14. 14. Boyatzis R.E., The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance, John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA, 1991.
15. 15. Boyatzis R.E., Competencies in the 21st century, Journal of Management Development, 27 (1), 5-12, 2008.
16. 16. Spencer L.M., Spencer P.S.M., Competence at work: Models for superior performance, John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA, 1993.
17. 17. European Commission, EU Competency Framework for the management and implementation of the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/policy/how/improving-investment/competency/eu_competency_framework_en.pdf , Yayın tarihi 2017, Erişim tarihi Ağustos 20, 2024.
18. 18. OECD, Core Competency Framework: Human Resource Management. https://www.oecd.org/en/about/careers/apply/core-competency-framework.html, Erişim tarihi Ağustos 20, 2024.
19. 19. European Commission, European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO). https://esco.ec.europa.eu/en/about-esco/escopedia/escopedia/european-e-competence-framework-e-cf, Erişim tarihi Şubat 10, 2024.
20. 20. Saaty T.L., A scaling method for priorities in hierarchical structures - ScienceDirect, Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 15 (3), 234-281, 1977.
21. 21. Saaty T.L., Some mathematical concepts of the analytic hierarchy process, Behaviormetrika, 18 (29), 1-9, 1991.
22. 22. Saaty T.L., Vargas L.G., Models, methods, concepts & applications of the analytic hierarchy process, 2nd ed., 175, Springer, New York, USA, 2012.
23. 23. Ishizaka A., Siraj S., Are multi-criteria decision-making tools useful? An experimental comparative study of three methods, European Journal of Operational Research, 264 (2), 462-471, 2018.
24. 24. Saaty T.L., Mathematical principles of decision making: The complete theory of the analytic hierarchy process (Principia mathematica decernendi), Pittsburgh, USA, 2010.
25. 25. Karadayi-Usta S., Kadaifci C., Investigating supply chain resilience in digital car sharing enterprises: a case study from Turkey, Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 38 (4), 1255-1280, 2025.
26. 26. Sayed B., Shamsi Z., Sadiq Mohd., A Method for the Selection of Agile Methods Using AHP, The 5th International Conference on Frontiers in Intelligent Computing: Theory and Applications, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India, 297–303, 16-17 September 2016.
27. 27. Ichwan D.O., Raharja I.F., Ichsan M., Trigunarsyah B., Syahchari D., Januar M.A., Exploring Key Determinants in Implementing Effective Agile Project Management: A Case Study of Indonesian Practices, WSEAS Transactions on Systems, 24, 202-214, 2025.
28. 28. Yaghoobi T., Prioritizing key success factors of software projects using fuzzy AHP, Journal of Software: Evolution and Process, 30 (1), e1891, 2018.
29. 29. Yel İ., Baysal M., An application on the use of fuzzy multi criteria decision making methods for software project development process selection, Journal of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Gazi University, 38 (4), 2325-2338, 2023.
30. 30. Chouhan V.S., Srivastava S., Understanding competencies and competency modeling―A literature survey, IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 16 (1), 14-22, 2014.
31. 31. Wang P.L., Assessment of Cognitive Competency, The Neuropsychology of Everyday Life: Assessment and Basic Competencies, Cilt 2, Editör: Tupper D.E., Cicerone, K.D., Springer, Boston, MA, US, 219–228, 1990.
32. 32. Boyatzis R.E., Sala F., The Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI)., Measuring emotional intelligence: Common ground and controversy, Editör: Geher, G., Nova Science Publishers, Columbia, MD, U.S, 147–180, 2004.
33. 33. Cornide-Reyes H., Riquelme F., Noel R., Villarroel R., Cechinel C., Letelier P., Munoz R., Key skills to work with agile frameworks in software engineering: Chilean perspectives, IEEE Access, 9, 84724–84738, 2021.
34. 34. Manning T., Robertson B., Influencing and negotiating skills: some research and reflections–Part I: influencing strategies and styles, Industrial and Commercial Training, 35 (1), 11-15, 2003.
35. 35. University of Harvard, Harvard University Competency Dictionary. https://hms.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/assets/Sites/HR/files/Harvard%20University%20Competency%20Dictionary%20FY14%20-%20final.pdf, Yayın tarihi 2011, Erişim tarihi Şubat 10, 2024.
36. 36. Thamhain H.J., Developing project management skills, Project Management Journal, 22 (3), 39-53, 1991.
37. 37. Colomo-Palacios R., González-Carrasco I., López-Cuadrado J.L., García-Crespo Á., ReSySTER: A hybrid recommender system for Scrum team roles based on fuzzy and rough sets, International Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, 22 (4), 801-816, 2012.
38. 38. Ribeiro A., Amaral A., Barros T., Project Manager Competencies in the context of the Industry 4.0, Procedia Computer Science, 181, 803-810, 2021.
39. 39. Zaman U., Jabbar Z., Nawaz S., Abbas M., Understanding the soft side of software projects: An empirical study on the interactive effects of social skills and political skills on complexity–performance relationship, International Journal of Project Management, 37 (3), 444-460, 2019.
40. 40. Hanslo R., Mnkandla E., Vahed A., Factors that contribute significantly to Scrum adoption, 14th Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (FedCSIS), Leipzig, Germany, 813-821, 1-4 September 2019.
41. 41. Miler J., Gaida P., On the agile mindset of an effective team–an industrial opinion survey, 14th Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (FedCSIS), Leipzig, Germany, 841-849, 1-4 September 2019.
42. 42. Varajão J., Cruz-Cunha M.M., Using AHP and the IPMA Competence Baseline in the project managers selection process, International Journal of Production Research, 51 (11), 3342-3354, 2013.
43. 43. Skulmoski G.J., Hartman F.T., Information Systems Project Manager Soft Competencies: A Project-Phase Investigation, Project Management Journal, 41 (1), 61-80, 2010.
44. 44. Burga R., Spraakman C., Balestreri C., Rezania D., Examining the transition to agile practices with information technology projects: Agile teams and their experience of accountability, International Journal of Project Management, 40 (1), 76-87, 2022.
45. 45. Müller R., Turner R., Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers, International Journal of Project Management, 28 (5), 437-448, 2010.
46. 46. Ahsan K., Ho M., Analysis of agile project manager competencies from recruitment signals, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 3892-3905, 2022.
47. 47. Competencies, UWYO Human Resources. https://www.uwyo.edu/hr/classification-compensation/competencies/index.html. Erişim tarihi Ağustos 23, 2024
48. 48. Bredillet C., Tywoniak S., Dwivedula R., What is a good project manager? An Aristotelian perspective, International Journal of Project Management, 33 (2), 254-266, 2015.
49. 49. Hecklau F., Galeitzke M., Flachs S., Kohl H., Holistic approach for human resource management in Industry 4.0, Procedia Cirp, 54, 1-6, 2016.
50. 50. Pajares J., Poza D., Villafañez F., López-Paredes A., Project Management Methodologies in the Fourth Technological Revolution, Advances in Management Engineering, Editör: Hernández, C., Springer, 121–144, 2017.
51. 51. Denning S., The age of agile: How smart companies are transforming the way work gets done, 1st ed, Amacom, New York, USA, 2018.
52. 52. Gjøystdal S., Karunaratne T., Effect of inadequate self-organized teams in agile project management: A case study from the oil and gas industry, International Journal of Information Technology Project Management (IJITPM), 11 (3), 95-106, 2020.
53. 53. Purna Sudhakar G., Farooq A., Patnaik S., Soft factors affecting the performance of software development teams, Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 17 (3/4), 187-205, 2011.
54. 54. Anke S., Ringeisen T., Kompetenzanforderungen an Führungskräfte von agilen Softwareentwicklungsteams, Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO), 52 (1), 51-63, 2021.
55. 55. Dubois D.D., Rothwell W.J., Competency-based human resource management: Discover a new system for unleashing the productive power of exemplary performers, Davies-Black-Nicholas Brealey Publishing, Boston, USA, 2004.
56. 56. Crowder J.A., Friess S., Agile Project Management: Managing for Success, Springer Cham, 2015.
57. 57. da Silva L.F., Júnior O.S., Neto A.L., The Importance of soft skills in the selection of project teams in a company in the agile transformation stage, Journal on Innovation and Sustainability RISUS, 14 (1), 4-18, 2023.
58. 58. Stevenson D.H., Starkweather J.A., PM critical competency index: IT execs prefer soft skills, International Journal of Project Management, 28 (7), 663-671, 2010.
59. 59. Keil M., Lee H.K., Deng T., Understanding the most critical skills for managing IT projects: A Delphi study of IT project managers, Information & Management, 50 (7), 398-414, 2013.
60. 60. Pant I., Baroudi B., Project management education: The human skills imperative, International Journal of Project Management, 26 (2), 124-128, 2008.
61. 61. Jia J., Yang X., Zhang R., Liu X., Understanding software developers’ cognition in agile requirements engineering, Science of Computer Programming, 178, 1-19, 2019.
62. 62. Grapenthin S., Poggel S., Book M., Gruhn V., Improving task breakdown comprehensiveness in agile projects with an Interaction Room, Information and Software Technology, 67, 254-264, 2015.
63. 63. Cornide-Reyes H., Campillay S., Alfaro A., Villarroel R., Identification of Skills for the Formation of Agile High Performance Teams: A Systematic Mapping, Information and Communication Technologies of Ecuador (TIC.EC), Cilt 884, Editör: Botto-Tobar, M., Barba-Maggi, L., González-Huerta, J., Villacrés-Cevallos, P., Gómez, O.S., Uvidia-Fassler, M.I., Springer Nature, Switzerland, 141–152, 2019.
64. 64. Ramírez‐Mora S.L., Oktaba H., Patlán Pérez J., Group maturity, team efficiency, and team effectiveness in software development: A case study in a CMMI‐DEV Level 5 organization, Journal of Software: Evolution and Process, 32 (4), e2232, 2020.
65. 65. da Costa Filho J.R., Penha R., da Silva L.F., Bizarrias F.S., Competencies for managing activities in agile projects, Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 23 (4), 431-452, 2022.
66. 66. Atkinson R., Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, its time to accept other success criteria, International Journal of Project Management, 17 (6), 337-342, 1999.
67. 67. SurveyMonkey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/. Erişim tarihi Ağustos 23, 2024.
68. 68. Super Decisions. https://www.superdecisions.com/. Erişim tarihi Ağustos 24, 2024.
69. 69. Shameem M., Kumar R.R., Kumar C., Chandra B., Khan A.A., Prioritizing challenges of agile process in distributed software development environment using analytic hierarchy process, Journal of Software: Evolution and Process, 30 (11), e1979, 2018.
70. 70. Patel J., Poston R., Using Social Intelligence to Overcome Agile Adoption Challenges, Journal of Computer Information Systems, 62 (4), 740-751, 2022.
71. 71. Sarıkaya E., Gürsev S., Classification of teams based on production, goal and performance in teams implementing scrum framework, Journal of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Gazi University, 39 (4), 2113-2124, 2024.