Translating Agile : an ethnographic study of SEB Pension & Försäkring

Sammanfattning: Agile is an idea that has spread far within the corporate world and was originally designed for use in small, single- team project within IT. To this, limited is known about agile in larger settings and the purpose of this thesis is to explore the translation of agile in a large organization. Conducting an ethnographic study at SEB Pension & Försäkring we illustrate that the translation of agile imply adaption. We identify three processes of translation; (1) adaption through unifying the understanding of agile, (2) adaption through testing of agile elements, and (3) adaption through negotiations. The ethnography indicates that translation of agile in large organizations is challenging and individuals struggle to convey the essence of the idea, ending up in discussions through various interventions. Due to the popularity of agile the contributions is of value for organizations that attempts to become agile. The thesis is limited by the restricted time of conducting ethnographic studies. Further research is needed to explore the translation of agile in larger settings and to provide validity for the three processes of translation.