Progress in IS Alexander Scheerer Coordination in Large-Scale Agile Software Development Integrating Conditions and Configurations in Multiteam Systems Progress in IS More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/10440 Alexander Scheerer Coordination in Large-Scale Agile Software Development fi Integrating Conditions and Con gurations in Multiteam Systems 123 Alexander Scheerer SAPSE Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg Germany ISSN 2196-8705 ISSN 2196-8713 (electronic) Progressin IS ISBN978-3-319-55326-9 ISBN978-3-319-55327-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-55327-6 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017933555 ThisbookisbasedonadoctoralthesissuccessfullydefendedattheBusinessSchooloftheUniversityof Mannheim. ©SpringerInternationalPublishingAG2017 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpart of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission orinformationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilar methodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publicationdoesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfrom therelevantprotectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authorsortheeditorsgiveawarranty,expressorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinor for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictionalclaimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations. Printedonacid-freepaper ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbySpringerNature TheregisteredcompanyisSpringerInternationalPublishingAG Theregisteredcompanyaddressis:Gewerbestrasse11,6330Cham,Switzerland The original version of the book was revised: For detailed information please see erratum. The erratum to this book is available at DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-55327-6_6 v Acknowledgements This dissertation is the result of a successful cooperation between the research groupofProf.Dr.ArminHeinzlattheInstituteofEnterpriseSystems,Universityof Mannheim, Germany and SAP SE, Walldorf, Germany. Developing and writing this book has been a challenging and enriching experience. I would like to thank many people who have supported and accompanied me during this process. First and foremost, I would like to thank my academic advisor Prof. Dr. Armin Heinzlforgivingmethesupport,theguidanceandalsothefreedomtodevelopmy research ideas and skills in teaching. I deeply appreciate his encouragement and support to present at international conferences and to develop my work during a research stay abroad with Dr. Rashina Hoda at the University of Auckland. This dissertation project would not have been possible without the amazing support I received from colleagues at SAP SE. Through innumerable discussions, interviews and workshops I had the unique opportunity to study agile software development with and from experts in the field. My special thanks goes to Tobias Schimmer(néHildenbrand),whohasbeeninvaluableinthisresearchendeavor.He has always been an encouraging and highly supportive mentor throughout this journey.MartinFassunge,JuergenHeymann,MichaelRömerandJoachimSchnitter guided me through the world of software development at SAP SE. Without their support,thesuccessfulcompletionofthisjointresearchprojectwouldnothavebeen possible.Furthermore,IwouldliketothankBehnazGholami,HerbertIllgner,Roger Kilian-Kehr,GünterPecht-Seibert,FelixMaximilianRoth,SarahTräutleinandDirk VölzatSAPSEfortheirsupport.Furthermore,theempiricalstudywouldnothave beenpossiblewithoutthesupportofmorethan90colleagueswhowerewillingtobe interviewedfor myresearch on topof their daily work. While working on my dissertation, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a great team of colleagues at the Chair of General Management and Information Systems. The ongoing exchanges aboutour work and beyond was all-important to this journey. Through this time spent together I was fortunate enough to have gainedmanyafriend.MyveryspecialthanksgoestoOkanAydingül,SaskiaBick, Jens Förderer, Erik Hemmer, Lars Klimpke, Tommi Kramer, Thomas Kude, vii viii Acknowledgements Miroslav Lazic, Nele Lüker, Tillmann Neben, Marko Nöhren, Sven Scheibmayr, Kai Spohrer, Christoph Schmidt, Sebastian Stuckenberg and Aliona von der Trenck. I would also like to thank the chair’s assistants Luise Bühler and Ingrid Distelrath as well as the student assistants, Stefan Eckhardt, Alexandra Lang, Lea Offermann and Martin Pfannemüller. My deepest gratitude goes to my family, who have given me the utmost of encouragementandadvice,especiallytoSaskiaforherunceasingpatienceandmy parents, who have always given me unconditional support in all aspects of life. Mannheim, Germany Alexander Scheerer December 2016 Contents 1 Introduction.... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1 1.1 Problem Statement ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1 1.2 Research Questions and Objectives ... .... .... .... ..... .... 3 1.3 Research Design and Organization.... .... .... .... ..... .... 4 References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 5 2 Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations . .... .... .... ..... .... 7 2.1 Coordination.... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 7 2.1.1 Coordination in Organizational Theory... .... ..... .... 8 2.1.2 Coordination Theory. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 10 2.1.3 Coordination in Team Cognition Studies . .... ..... .... 11 2.1.4 Outcomes and Conditions of Coordination .... ..... .... 12 2.1.5 Summary. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 14 2.2 Teams and Multiteam Systems... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 14 2.3 Agile Software Development .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 16 2.3.1 The Scrum Framework ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 18 2.3.2 Agile Software Development on the Team Level .... .... 21 2.3.3 Industrial Frameworks for Large-Scale Agile Development.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 23 2.3.4 Agile Software Development on the Multiteam System Level.... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 26 2.4 Prior Work on Coordination in Multiteam Systems and Large-Scale Agile Development.... .... ..... .... 27 2.4.1 Coordination in Multiteam Systems . .... .... ..... .... 27 2.4.2 Coordination in Large-Scale Agile Development .... .... 28 2.5 Research Framework . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 29 References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 32 ix x Contents 3 Research Design .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 39 3.1 Research Context .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 39 3.1.1 Organizational Context ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 40 3.1.2 Embedded Research Setup .... .... .... .... ..... .... 40 3.2 Selection of a Research Strategy.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 41 3.3 Specification of the Case Study Strategy ... .... .... ..... .... 42 3.4 Data Collection and Analysis Procedure.... .... .... ..... .... 44 3.4.1 Data Collection..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 44 3.4.2 Analysis of Process Changes... .... .... .... ..... .... 45 References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 47 4 Case Study Results on Coordination in Multiteam Systems.... .... 49 4.1 Single-Case Analysis . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 49 4.1.1 Case Alpha... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 50 4.1.2 Case Beta .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 62 4.1.3 Case Gamma.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 72 4.1.4 Case Delta.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 78 4.1.5 Case Epsilon.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 85 4.2 Cross-Case Analysis.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 90 4.2.1 Imbalances of Integrating Conditions .... .... ..... .... 90 4.2.2 Deriving Instantiations of Coordination Configurations.... 92 4.2.3 Analysis of the Relationship Between Integrating Conditions and Coordination Configurations... ..... .... 95 4.2.4 Analysis of the Relationship Between the Coordination Configuration Dimensions and the Integrating Conditions.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 98 4.2.5 Temporal Analysis of Integrating Conditions and Coordination Configurations.... .... .... ..... .... 99 4.2.6 Stereotypes of Multiteam Systems... .... .... ..... .... 105 References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 106 5 Discussion and Summary . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 107 5.1 Summary of the Findings... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 107 5.2 Theoretical Contributions ... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 109 5.3 Practical Contributions ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 112 5.4 Limitations of the Study and Future Research ... .... ..... .... 113 5.5 Summary .. .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 114 References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 116 Erratum to: Coordination in Large-Scale Agile Software Development .. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... E1 Appendix. .... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 119