Working Experiences in Agile Software Development: The Case of the Business Processes Outsourcing Industry in Poland

Lean production is becoming popular in IT-related industries, including the business processes outsourcing (BPO) industry. Managers of companies try to implement lean principles in software development projects and, as a result, Agile Software Development (ASD) is becoming more common in practice. According to ASD authors, this approach aims to increase employee productivity and provide better working conditions. However, little is known about the experience of working in such conditions. This article aims to analyze the experience of working under ASD conditions in the BPO industry in Poland. Based on interviews with employees and trade unionists in the BPO industry and using Grounded Theory Methodology procedures during the data analysis, three categories of work experiences in the BPO industry were reconstructed. The reconstructed categories are: “enthusiasm,” “instrumentalism,” and “disenchantment.” Modes of experience were determined by biographical work experiences, individual resources, and objective context.