Abstract

The practice of agile is ubiquitous because of the promise of flexibility, speed, and empowerment of teams. However, it comes at a price: research reveals that agile is causing stress, exhaustion, and burnout in software development. This paper focuses on the hidden side of agile, namely the negative impact it has on the well-being of employees. It brings together two different lines of literature that usually remain independent from each other: the well-being crisis induced by the very nature of Agile (such as short sprints, daily stand-ups, peer pressure) and the implementation pathology due to its shallow, hypocritical, and promotion-based implementations. On the basis of a systematic review of 78 empirical studies, it has been discovered that there are three key mechanisms leading to agile burnout: delivery pressure in iteration, surveillance via transparency, and the paradox of autonomy. Moreover, it demonstrates how organizational hypocrisy, consultant’s hype, and lack of clarity exacerbate the negative tendencies. The main takeaway is that the well-being crisis of agile development is not a coincidence but rather the effect of its current implementation. Personal coping strategies are insufficient to tackle the problem. Instead, structural solutions are necessary for sustaining a healthy rhythm, ensuring psychological safety, and putting an end to performative agile.

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