Agile software development as managed sensemaking

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The environment in which all organisations currently operate is undoubtably dynamic.Regardless of the nature, size or geographical location of business, companies are beingforced to cope with a rapidly changing world and increasing levels of unpredictability.This thesis tracks the history of software development methodologies leading up to agiledevelopment (chapter 2). Agile development has appeared in response to the limitationsof traditional development approaches and evolved to address the particular demands of achanging world (chapter 3).The theory of sensemaking is used to gain insight into the functioning of agile development.Sensemaking is introduced and a working definition of this concept is formulated(chapter 4).This research does not argue that agile development is the same as sensemaking, butrather that it can be better understood through sensemaking. Agile development can beseen as a type of sensemaking, but sensemaking is also a generic, universal cognitive ability.The structure and design of agile development is well aligned with sensemaking, and onecan understand its nature and the type of management needed to support agile developmentbetter from this perspective. In fact, agile development directly supports and facilitatesseveral important elements of the sensemaking process.For successful sensemaking to occur, certain organisational conditions need to be present.The term managed sensemaking is introduced to expand this notion.After performing an analysis of agile development (chapter 5), certain pertinent implicationsand challenges facing organisations are considered (chapter 6). By framing theseimplications in terms of sensemaking, practical management suggestions can be providedbased on a good fit between the problem that agile development is meant to solve and thecognitive requirements of the process leading to a solution.The research conducted in this process opens the door to further research opportunities (chapter 7) and allows for the application of sensemaking in the context of softwaredevelopment methodologies.This study provides insight into the prevalence and functioning of agile methodologies,in software engineering contexts, by leveraging the theory of sensemaking to provide anexplanation for the underlying worldview and processes constituting this approach.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University