EXAM REQUIREMENTS

• Submit your answers as a single Word or PDF file, called “ISM 6316 Mid Term – <your name>”.

• Follow APA Style (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins).

• This is an individual assignment. It is not a collaborative effort, not a team effort. You are not

allowed to discuss this exam with anyone, classmates or others. If you have any questions or

doubts, contact me by email.

• Submit your answers by the deadline. Each 24 hour period that you miss the deadline, it costs

10 points.

Question 1. (40 points; max 2 pages)

Transitioning an organization from running development projects with the Waterfall approach to

Agile/SCRUM is not an easy undertaking. Reflect on what you think are the biggest challenges that

have to be overcome and how you would approach this transition.

a. Describe four different challenges that organizations face when they want to transition to

SCRUM. For each challenge explain what the challenge is and why this is a critical challenge in

your opinion.

b. Describe for each challenge that you identified above what strategies you would use to

overcome the challenge.

Question 2. (30 points; max 2 pages)

SCRUM was originally intended as a project management approach for software development

projects. However, one may argue that SCRUM can be used as a generic project management

approach that can be applied in the context of any type of project, covering different focus areas

in a company (e.g. marketing, finance, or HR). Reflect on this position. To what extent do you

agree that SCRUM can be used as a generic project management approach? To what extent do you

disagree? Where lay the limits of the applicability of SCRUM to the management of complex

projects?

Question 3. (30 points; max 3 pages)

Visit: https://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/2015/06/06/why-agile-and-especially-scrum-are-terrible/

(A pdf of the blog will be available on CANVAS as well).

As you can tell, not everyone is convinced about the value of SCRUM. Critically reflect on the

opinions presented in the blog. (Please note that you do not have to read/consider the hundreds of

responses to this blog).

a. To what extent do you agree with the author’s point of view? On what issues do you disagree?

b. Based on your experience/understanding of SCRUM, what kinds of adjustments to SCRUM and its

practices or what other initiatives would you explore to address some of the issues that the

author raises?