Agile Coach or Creativity Coach? How Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches Foster Creativity-Conducive Spaces in Agile Software Teams

Abstract

This study investigates how scrum masters and agile coaches foster creativity within agile software teams. Drawing on semistructured interviews with 28 professionals in these roles, the research identifies five clusters of explicit and implicit practices that support creative thinking. The findings conceptualize scrum masters and agile coaches as emergent creativity coaches, even when creativity is not an explicit focus of their role. By shaping a creativity-conducive fertile space—akin to ba in knowledge management and dissipative structures in complexity theory—they create conditions in which creative ideas can emerge organically. The study also highlights that the effectiveness of these practices depends on structural empowerment and offers practical guidance for organizations seeking to unlock creativity within agile teams.