Name
Striving for Freedom in a Large-scale Agile Environment with an Entrepreneurial Mindset of a Product Owner
Date & Time
Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Maria Paasivaara
Description

In a large-scale agile environment, a Product Owner receives requests from many different directions. Freedom to influence the direction of the product and push ideas forward sometimes requires saying no. The case company, which is a large financial organization, encourages Product Owners to take responsibility by valuing an entrepreneurial mindset. This research studies when a Product Owner can say no to new requests and whether Product Owners have an entrepreneurial mindset. A total of 18 Product Owners, and those in similar roles, as well as managers from the case company were interviewed. The findings show that the role of the Product Owner needs to be clarified in order to have more freedom to act. Prioritizing is difficult and saying no is more difficult than desired. Product Owners find the urge for an entrepreneurial attitude understandable, however, it does not seem to fit perfectly into the everyday work life of a Product Owner in a large-scale set-up. When the understanding of the role deepens, the Product Owner has greater freedom to make the product successful.

Location Name
Kleine zaal (IJzaal), 5th floor
Full Address
Pakhuis de Zwijger
Piet Heinkade 179
Amsterdam 1019 HC
Netherlands
Session Type
Research Paper
submissions_id
4292
Track Color
Red
Session Length
20
Keywords
Product Owner
freedom
large-scale
Agile
entrepreneurial mindset
prioritization
Learning Objectives
Organizational Agility
Track
Leadership and Culture