Exploring the Agile Project Manager - A Case Study at Scania R&D

Abstract: Background: Organizations implement agile methodologies with the aim to increase their ability to respond quickly and adapt to changing environments. Agile transformations include changes in the organizational structure, processes, and roles. Most agile frameworks and approaches introduce new leadership roles, such as the scrum master and product owner; however, the project manager role is not addressed. As the project manager contributes to the success of many project management methods, researchers call for research to address the agile project manager role. The absence of the project manager role in agile frameworks has also created uncertainty about if there is a need for the agile project manager role and what the role should entail for the case company, which is transitioning to agile. This single case study explored the agile project manager role at the R&D department YS within Scania. First, CSFs in agile were identified to provide factors that are important to consider for understanding the need for the agile project manager role. Then, the need for the agile project manager and factors that affect the need for the role were explored. Last, the definition of the agile project manager was explored by investigating the role’s key responsibilities and competencies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the need and definition of the agile project manager role at YS. Research Questions: RQ1. What are the most prominent critical success factors in agile? RQ2. What does the need for the agile project manager role look like? RQ3. How should the agile project manager role be defined? Methodology: Holistic single case study. Conclusion: The theoretical and empirical study findings show that no conclusion can be drawn regarding the general need for the agile project manager role. A discrepancy was identified regarding sources stating that there is a great need for the role while other sources mean that there is no need for the role. However, the study found six factors that affect the need for the role: • Organizational aspects o Agile organizational maturity o Organizational structure • Process aspects o Hybrid of traditional and agile project management process • Project aspects o Level of cross-functional requirements o Project size o Project complexity The study found that the main responsibilities and competencies of the agile project manager correspond to the traditional project manager. However, an overlap of responsibility areas for the agile project manager and agile roles was identified, such as coordinating and facilitating communication. Agile framework competency and servant leadership skills were found to be extra important for a project manager in an agile setting.