A study of the use and effectiveness of controls in agile information systems development projects

This study uses control theory as a lens to examine the use of control in agile information systems development (ISD) projects, specifically within software project teams that use agile methodologies. Traditionally, requirements for ISD projects have been defined at the outset and it has been the role of the project manager to control the project and help the team to achieve their goals. However, the goals of agile ISD projects are flexible and can change frequently, with the consequence that it can be difficult for a project manager to determine the most appropriate and effective type of control to use at each stage of a project. The aim of this research is to: develop a research instrument that will identify the control modes used by project teams in agile ISD projects; conduct a survey to collect data; and develop a framework for assessing the effectiveness of each control mode.peer-reviewe