Examining the roles of team and managerial competencies in achieving a successful agile transformation

Agile transformation has been widely adopted, particularly in the software and telecommunications industries, to enhance flexibility and customer orientation in project management processes. However, considering that many transformation efforts undertaken since the concept was first proposed have remained incomplete, and those that were completed have largely ended in failure, the success of this transformation, as emphasized in both theory and practice, is directly related to the human factor. For this purpose, the study aims to identify and prioritize the competencies that are critical to the success of agile transformation. Within the scope of two separate decision models developed based on a literature review and expert opinions, 25 and 28 competencies related to team members and project managers, respectively, were grouped into eight categories and evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. According to the findings, the most important competency groups for both roles are communication and teamwork. "Self-organization" for team members and "verbal communication" for project managers emerged as the most critical sub-competencies. It was also revealed that, particularly in the telecommunications industry, technical knowledge and work experience are given greater importance. This study makes a significant contribution to the literature as no other study has been identified that focuses on team-related factors highlighted in macro-level research on agile transformation success and to examine the required competencies of both team members and project managers through a comprehensive model. Moreover, it provides practical guidance for selecting individuals who will take part in the agile transformation process and for accurately identifying areas for development.