Title: Assessing agile project management practices: the case of Palestinian software development companies

Authors: Abdalla Alhroub; Ayham A.M. Jaaron

Addresses: Engineering Management Program, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, West Bank, Palestine ' Industrial Engineering Department, An-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, Nablus, West Bank, Palestine

Abstract: This paper analyses the readiness of agile project management (APM) implementation in software development companies in the context of Palestine; by assessing changes required for transforming projects into agile and challenges and risks involved in the transformation, in addition to exploring APM success factors. A case study methodology using mixed methods technique was adopted. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaire data from 67 different companies were used. Although data analysis shows that there is a high degree of implementation of APM practices, the results show that software development companies have a moderate level of ability to deal with challenges and risks of the APM processes. A managerial framework was developed to enhance software development companies' working in the context of a Middle East country to properly adopt the practices of APM. The framework identifies determinants of a successful APM process realisation that will help software development companies maintain a sustainable growth.

Keywords: agile; APM; agile project management practices; agile principles; agile implementation; agile success factors; agile software development; middle east; managerial framework.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2019.097370

Middle East Journal of Management, 2019 Vol.6 No.1, pp.95 - 120

Received: 26 Jan 2018
Accepted: 24 Mar 2018
Published online: 16 Jan 2019 *

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