Agile at scale introduces persistent tensions as organizations attempt to balance autonomy, coordination, and control across teams and layers. Some tensions are paradoxes, which are persistent contradictions in which both sides matter. Drawing on a qualitative case study of MarketCorp, a multinational marketplace company, we explore how paradoxes manifest in a large-scale agile context and how leaders respond. Interviews with 15 top managers and reflective conversations with 60 employees reveal three paradoxes: centralization vs. autonomy, internal vs. external focus, and product vs. project approaches. We explored two approaches for designing facilitated dialogue around paradoxes in leadership teams. The study highlights the importance of recognizing, normalizing, and collaboratively managing paradoxes and offers practical guidance for large-scale agile organizations, demonstrating that paradoxes can provide a valuable focus for continuous improvement and strengthen agile learning practices.

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From Tensions to Solutions: Managing Paradoxes in Large-Scale Agile

  • Nina Haugland Andersen,
  • Nils Brede Moe,
  • Astri Barbala,
  • Rasmus Ulfsnes,
  • Cansu Kilit,
  • Hatice Fidan,
  • Viktoria Stray

摘要

Agile at scale introduces persistent tensions as organizations attempt to balance autonomy, coordination, and control across teams and layers. Some tensions are paradoxes, which are persistent contradictions in which both sides matter. Drawing on a qualitative case study of MarketCorp, a multinational marketplace company, we explore how paradoxes manifest in a large-scale agile context and how leaders respond. Interviews with 15 top managers and reflective conversations with 60 employees reveal three paradoxes: centralization vs. autonomy, internal vs. external focus, and product vs. project approaches. We explored two approaches for designing facilitated dialogue around paradoxes in leadership teams. The study highlights the importance of recognizing, normalizing, and collaboratively managing paradoxes and offers practical guidance for large-scale agile organizations, demonstrating that paradoxes can provide a valuable focus for continuous improvement and strengthen agile learning practices.