THE INFLUENCE OF NATIONAL CULTURE DIMENSIONS ON AGILE PRACTICES: THE CASE OF SOUTH AFRICAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAMS

Abstract

Culture influences how agile frameworks are implemented, and agility is said to be suitable in contexts where flexibility and spontaneity are emphasized. While past studies have investigated the influence of national culture on Agile implementations and practices in Western and Eastern contexts, studies focusing on a South African software development context is limited. Furthermore, few studies have focused on the effect of cultural differences within software engineering in general. The purpose of this study is to describe how national culture influences Agile practices within the South African software development context. In particular, the Hofstede, GLOBE and Schwartz frameworks of national culture were considered. The study was interpretive and was executed using a qualitative, semistructured interview research strategy directed at Agile practitioners in South African software development teams. The thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data. Eleven propositions were formulated to highlight how national culture dimensions influence Agile practices. The findings reveal that various national culture dimensions influence the decision-making process, the degree of Sprint interruptions, participation in Agile ceremonies, adherence to policies and prescribed Agile practices, how teams reach agreement, approaches to process improvement and Sprint Planning. The dimensions also influence the extent to which team members are encouraged to have fun and their work-life balance, commitment to achieving Sprint Goals and the sustainable working pace, the Definition of “Done”, blocker management, how commitments are made, team cohesion, preparation for and outcomes of Sprint Retrospective, as well as the degree to which the Scrum Master is task-focused or people-focused.