Navigating cultural resistance:

successfully implementing agile methods in the telecom

Abstract

Objective: This article presents the application of an agile and cultural transformation framework to mitigate the impact of implementing agile methods in an environment of cultural resistance within organizations.

Methodology: Product Owner and Scrum Master training were carried out, totaling 62 employees. We used semi-structured interviews with open questions, and a questionnaire with 93 questions was applied to diagnose the level of agile knowledge. In addition, there was detailed documentary research, which involved managers and consultants from the business area and project managers, in addition to the profiles that comprise the agile teams considered.

Results: We point out that implementing agile methods in organizations lacks adequate planning. The proposed agile and cultural transformation framework with its various stages, “Training,” “Adapting,” “Monitoring”, and “Evaluate,” was implemented in a large mobile telecommunications company. The framework was presented in detail and represented schematically.

Originality: This technological article contributes by bringing practical guidance on implementing agile methods in environments with a different culture, with a low degree of Cultural Fit, reducing cultural resistance and reaping benefits more quickly throughout the change process. We point out that implementing agile methods in organizations lacks adequate planning. The proposed agile and cultural transformation framework with its various stages was implemented in a large mobile telecommunications company. The framework was presented in detail and represented schematically. This technological article contributes by bringing practical guidance on implementing agile methods in environments with a different culture, with a low degree of Cultural Fit, reducing cultural resistance and reaping benefits more quickly throughout the change process.