Exploring the Role of Agile Mindset in Information Systems: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The success of agile work heavily depends on people and their approach to challenges, with the agile mindset emerging as a pivotal driver. Despite its importance, Information Systems (IS) research lacks a systematic overview of the contexts where the agile mindset is relevant and the research gaps that remain. This study addresses this gap by systematically examining the factors influencing and resulting from the agile mindset in IS contexts and, for the first time, demonstrating its broad relevance across diverse IS domains. We conducted a systematic literature review, analyzing 62 relevant papers from IS research. Our findings show that the agile mindset plays a central role in four key areas: (1) implementing agile methods or scaled agile frameworks during agile transformations, (2) applying digital tools and driving digital transformation, (3) supporting coaching, training, and education, and (4) leadership and management. This study's originality lies in highlighting the agile mindset's wide-ranging applicability, offering practitioners actionable insights for designing processes and mechanisms to enhance the success of agile work in IS. Additionally, researchers are provided with a roadmap of open questions and future research opportunities to deepen our understanding of this critical concept in IS contexts.