Agility: a managerial religion without believers?

L’agilité: une religion managériale sans croyants ?

Yannis Martin ()
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Yannis Martin: COSTECH - Connaissance Organisation et Systèmes TECHniques - UTC - Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UTC - Université de Technologie de Compiègne

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Abstract: Modernity, often perceived as a secularization of Christianity, has seen the emergence of social and managerial structures that incorporate religious elements in secular forms. Scientific management, a product of the Industrial Revolution, is one example. However, little attention has been paid to the religious or theological dimension of management. In this context, agile methods, particularly Scrum, offer fertile ground for exploring this transposition of the sacred into the professional world. In this presentation, we will examine the parallels between agile and religious practices and observe how only practitioners still believe in their evangelization. Analyzing agile methods through the lens of secularization highlights the transposition of religious structures into the field of management. Rituals, authority figures, foundational texts, and doctrinal debates recall the dynamics of established religions. However, the limited adherence of practitioners suggests a form of meaningless ritualization, where practices are maintained without the faith that initially justified them. Thus, agility could be perceived as a contemporary managerial religion, marked by a secularization of forms without the substance of belief.

Keywords: Modernity; Work; Role; Organization; Agile; Management; Religion; Travail; Rôle; Organisation; Modernité (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11-24
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Published in Religion, Politique, Management, IPC - Facultés libres de philosophie et de psychologie; IAE Metz School of Management, Nov 2025, Paris, France

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05447587

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