Creativity in agile systems development: A literature review

Kieran Conboy, Xiaofeng Wang, Brian Fitzgerald

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Proponents of agile methods claim that enabling, fostering and driving creativity is the key motivation that differentiates agile methods from their more traditional, beauraucratic counterparts. However, there is very little rigorous research to support this claim. Like most of their predecessors, the development and promotion of these methods has been almost entirely driven by practitioners and consultants, with little objective validation from the research community. This lack of validation is particularly relevant for SMEs, given that many of their project teams typify the environment to which agile methods are most suited i.e. small, co-located teams with diverse, blended skills in unstructured, sometimes even chaotic surroundings. This paper uses creativity theory as a lens to review the current agile method literature to understand exactly how much we know about the extent to which creativity actually occurs in these agile environments. The study reveals many gaps and conflict of opinion in the body of knowledge in its current state and identifies many avenues for further research.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInformation Systems - Creativity and Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises - IFIP WG 8.2 International Conference, CreativeSME 2009, Proceedings
EditorsGurpreet Dhillon, Bernd Carsten Stahl, Richard Baskerville
PublisherSpringer New York LLC
Pages122-134
Number of pages13
ISBN (Print)9783642023873
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
EventIFIP WG 8.2 International Conference on Information Systems - Creativity and Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, CreativeSME 2009 - Guimaraes, Portugal
Duration: 21 Jun 200924 Jun 2009

Publication series

NameIFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
Volume301
ISSN (Print)1868-4238
ISSN (Electronic)1868-422X

Conference

ConferenceIFIP WG 8.2 International Conference on Information Systems - Creativity and Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, CreativeSME 2009
Country/TerritoryPortugal
CityGuimaraes
Period21/06/0924/06/09

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