This presentation explores the background of Organizational Behavior theories in Agile Scrum practices. Specifically the relevance of organic structure, formation of high performance teams, facets of organizational culture have been explored in this presentation

1. Agile Methodology and
Organizational theories in Global
Development Context
An overview
S R V Subrahmaniam
14-Dec-2013

2. Agenda – Do the Agile Scrum norms and practices have a basis in
Organizational Behaviour theory?
Organization structure
High Performance teams
Organizational culture
Discussion
Slide 2

3. Key Parameters in defining structure
Work specialization
Departmentalization – grouping of jobs together
Span of Control – number of reportees to manager
Decision making (Centralized or de-centralized)
Formalization – with rules and regulations
Slide 3
Team
formation

4. Strategy drives the structure
Structural options
Innovation
 Adaptability & Flexibility
 Dynamic nature of tasks
 High uncertainty in Operating environment
 Standard & predictable output
 Accountability
 Stable external environment
Cost Minimization & Tight control
http://www.nwttech.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2013/09/engineering.jpg
Slide 4
http://www.gksenvironmental.co.uk/assets/images/factory_production_line.jpg

5. Mechanistic Vs Organic structures
Source: http://jrwoodward.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/mechanistic-to-organic.png
Slide 5

6. Mechanistic structure
Decision making by
superiors
Strong department
affinity
Elaborate procedures
and SOPs
Repetitive tasks
Quantitative focus for
productivity
measurement
Low
interdependancies
Stable external environment
Maximum standardization
Increased efficiency
Economies of Scale
Slide 6

7. Nature of Organic Structures
Learning
Mindset
Differentiated
products and
services
Dominant values Blue
–
Trust, Participation and
commitment
Small scale setups
Reliance on
informal interpersonal
communication
Crossfunctional
teams
Communication
flows in all
directions
Seamless
transfer of
information
Knowledge
spread all
over
Nonroutine
technology
Open and
participative
Outcome
based
measurement
Future
Orientation
Frequent
innovation
Management
through
values &
objectives
Slide 7
Locus of the
work is
around
teams
Horizontal
structures
Decision
making by
teams
High Technology
and skill
obsolescence
Proactive and
opportunistic

8. Organic Structures – Typical Characteristics
Large network of authority, control, and communication
Problem solving is encouraged by all employees
Employees are more goal oriented with end customer focus
The Digital Workplace; disintermediation = eliminating the middleman.
Speed of Responsiveness to environmental changes or organizational crises or
shifting customer expectations
Slide 8

9. Moving towards team culture
Workgroups
Teams
 Share Information
 Collective performance
 Neutral (sometimes negative)
 Positive
 Individual
 Individual and mutual
 Random and varied
 Complementary
Goal
Synergy
Accountability
Skills
Source: Comparing Work groups and Work Teams, Page 303, Organizational Behaviour, Robbins, Judge and Vohra, Pearson publishers
Slide 9

10. http://thecollaboratory.wdfiles.com/local--files/2013-spring-sociology/social-groups.jpg

11. Agenda
Organization structure
High Performance teams
Organizational culture
Discussion
Slide 11

12. Self-Managed work teams
Overview
Teams are typically 10-15 members in number, performing highly related or inter-dependent functions
taking responsibility for the outcomes
 Take-over the tasks done, previously by the
supervisors – planning and scheduling work,
task allocation, operational decision making &
problem resolution
 Higher levels of job satisfaction
 Peer evaluation
 Possible conflicts and power struggles
 May have high turn-over rates
CON
PRO
Source: Self Managed work teams, Page 304, Organizational Behaviour, Robbins, Judge and Vohra, Pearson publishers,
Slide 12

13. Team effectiveness
Skills
Task allocation
Diversity
Size ( 5 to 9
members)
Common goal
Composition
Process
Conflict Management
Abilities
Social loafing
Context
Overall structure
Performance and
reward systems
Reference: Team Effectiveness Model, Page 306, Organizational Behaviour, Robbins, Judge and Vohra, Pearson publishers
Slide 13

14. 5 Characteristics of Effective Teams
Ref: Prof. Karl Smith, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota, in his book "Teamwork and Project Management"
Positive
Interdependence
Individual and
Group
Accountability
Promotive
Interaction
Teamwork Skills
Group
Processing
 "The team focuses on a common goal or single product“
 In Scrum, the Sprint objective and ultimately the Product backlog
 "Each person takes responsibility for both her or his own work and the overall
work of the team“
 Individual ownership of tasks and scrum team ownership of Sprint Objective
 "The members do real work, usually face to face"
 Co-location at Scrum Pit
 "Each member has the skills for and practices effective communication
(especially careful listening), decision making, problem solving, conflict
management, and leadership“
 Core trait of the Scrum team
 "The team periodically reflects on how well the team is working, celebrates the
things that are going well, and corrects the things that aren't"
 Sprint Retrospective
Slide 14
Reference: http://www.bobtuse.com/2009/01/5-characteristics-of-effective-

15. Implications for Scrum teams
Full-time roles

Co-location

High Cohesion

Less coupling

Slide 15

16. Re-skilling and competency building
Training areas
Technical Expertise
-
Domain
Technology
Test Automation
Configuration
Management
- Environment
Management
Tooling
Problem solving
- Implementation of
ALM tools
- Tools for
configuration
management,
static code
analysis, white
box testing, test
automation etc.,
- Project planning
and scheduling
- Problem
identification and
evaluation of
alternatives
- Work scoping,
constraint and risk
management
Building Technical Competence
Slide 16
Inter-personal skills
- Communication
and Presentation
skills
- Team work
- Negotiation skills
Building self-organized teams

17. Reworking performance evaluation criteria
Innovation
orientation
Task
accomplishment
Joint
Responsibility
Technical
expertise
Mix of group performance and individual performance
Slide 17

18. Social Loafing
- Social loafing is a widely
researched phenomenon that
suggests people exert less
effort to achieve a goal when
they work in a group than when
they work alone.
- Masking individual nonperformance under superior
group performance
- This can be undermined by
making team members
individually and jointly
responsible for team goals
http://www.all-about-psychology.com/social-loafing.html
Slide 18

19. Agenda
Organization structure
High Performance teams
Organizational culture
Discussion
Slide 19

20. Dimensions of organizational culture
Innovation and risk
taking
Attention to detail
Growth orientation
Culture
Outcome Orientation
People Orientation
Team Orientation
Agile
related
Neutral
Slide 20

21. The Last word..
from Scrumalliance
Source: The State of Scrum: Benchmarks and Guidelines, Scrumalliance
Slide 21

22. Agenda
Organization structure
High Performance teams
Organizational culture
Discussion
Slide 22

23. S R V Subrahmaniam, PMP, ACP, CSM
Siemens Limited
in.linkedin.com/in/subrahmaniamsrv/