Models of Middle Management Roles and Competencies in Agile Project Governance: A Multiple-Case Study in Nigerian Small-Scale Agile Software Development Project Settings

Abstract

Project governance (PG) is a crucial, multifaceted, and complex activity that is performed during agile software development (ASD) projects, and encompasses the necessary oversight, processes, tools, manpower, and support to accomplish projects. Middle managers (MMs) are important constituents of the governance structure in ASD projects. Despite the efficacy of PG and presence of MMs in ASD teams, PG and middle management in ASD projects are under-researched. There remains a lack of clarity regarding the role of MMs in ASD projects and the pertinent competencies that are important for them to function effectively in ASD project settings, not to mention the implications for agile teams, projects, and PG practice.

This study aims to fill this gap by investigating PG activities in small-scale ASD projects and identifying the roles that MMs perform and competencies that can help MMs thrive in ASD projects. It employed a qualitative and interpretive approach involving case studies in two Nigerian agile-practicing organisations and activity theory. It develops an activity-oriented PG conceptual framework (APGov) that aided the inquiry. Thematic network analysis was used to analyse data.

This study develops a model of 25 pivotal roles through which MMs support agile teams during agile PG. These roles relate to five areas: Planning and coordination for project alignment and execution, Continuous improvement and organisational change, Agile and technical leadership, Monitoring, and Capability building. The study found evidence for the dynamic, instantaneous, and transitory nature of the middle management roles. The study also develops a model of 54 competencies that are pertinent for MMs to operate effectively in ASD teams and projects. They relate to five competence aspects: Socio-relational, Delivery, Business, Results-oriented, and People-oriented. The competencies also relate to three elemental aspects of competence: Input, Personal, and Output. Expert agile practitioners validated the models. The study concludes that MMs are pivotal to PG practice and the effectual functioning of ASD teams in the examined cases. This Nigerian study may help researchers and practitioners in industry to better understand the role and relevance of middle management in the governance and delivery of ASD projects for project success. This study contributes to relevant theory and the ‘middle management in agile’ debate. It delivers alternate and clarifying views that may change beliefs about middle management in agile software project settings and offers implications for information systems practice.