Investigating team maturity in an agile automotive reorganization

TL;DR

This study examines how large-scale organizational restructuring impacts team maturity in an automotive company's agile R&D environment, revealing that stability and turnover influence maturity levels during change.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into the effects of restructuring on team maturity, highlighting factors that sustain or hinder team development during organizational change.

Findings

Reorganization did not significantly change team maturity distribution.

High turnover and frequent reorganizations hinder team maturity growth.

Stable teams maintained higher maturity levels despite managerial changes.

Abstract

About seven years ago, Volvo Cars initiated a large-scale agile transformation. Midst this journey, a significant restructuring of the R&D department took place. Our study aims to illuminate how team maturity levels are impacted during such comprehensive reorganizations. We collected data from 63 teams to comprehend the effects of organizational changes on these agile teams. Additionally, qualitative data was gathered to validate our findings and explore underlying reasons. Contrary to what was expected, the reorganization did not significantly alter the distribution of team maturity. High turnover rates and frequent reorganizations were identified as key factors to why the less mature teams remained in the early stages of team development. Conversely, teams in the second category remained stable at a higher maturity stage, primarily because the teams themselves remained largely intact, with only management structures changing. In conclusion, while reorganizations may hinder some teams' development, others maintain stability at a higher level of maturity despite substantial managerial changes.