Dark Agile: Perceiving People As Assets, Not Humans

Abstract

The Agile principles for software engineering were developed as a reaction against structuring software engineering processes in strict stepwise and sequential ways. The agile understanding of software engineering is that the fundamental nature of software means that we cannot pre-determined scope, goal, and objectives upfront. Instead goals, scope, and objectives are transformed throughout the process where the programming code gets created. The agile principles are based upon the main idea of providing the power over software engineering to the people - the software team. When we, in computer science departments at Danish universities, teach computer science students about software engineering - we talk about the benefits of agile development, as well as on the problem with the waterfall model. We explain how the waterfall model does not take into account the iterative and creative process of developing software. Further, if you visit any kind of Danish IT company and talk to the developers and ask them about methods - they will tell you how the waterfall model does not work, and how agile methodologies provides better quality within the appropriate time frame. Agile is seen as a positive perspective on software engineering in Denmark. However, the story about agile is quite different when we change perspective from Scandinavia and turn to India.