Agile project management in Jordan’s construction industry: principles, implementation, and adoption challenges in developing countries

Purpose This research aims to explore agile project management (APM) within the Jordanian construction industry. Hence, the research seeks to define the principles and values of APM and introduce new approaches to fully use APM in the developing countries’ construction industry. Moreover, it examined to what extent the engineering firms in Jordan are implementing agile strategies in their operations and investigated the challenges that cause delays in adopting APM in the construction industry in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the study objectives, a quantitative method was used for data collection and analysis; the questionnaire was initially designed based on the research objectives and relevant literature. Following its development, a pilot study was conducted through interviews with four industry experts, who assessed the questionnaire in terms of clarity, relevance and comprehensiveness. The insights gathered from these interviews constituted the results of the pilot study and were used to refine and enhance the questionnaire. Accordingly, the revised version was distributed to the 143 participants for the main data collection phase. Data analysis was conducted using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with software tool. Findings APM adoption within the Jordanian construction industry remains relatively low, standing at approximately 29.4%. The research identified 15 key challenges that contribute to implementation delays and limited adoption. Additionally, the study examined the interplay between the four core values and six principles of APM, highlighting their relevance to strategies for addressing adoption challenges in developing countries. Originality/value This research offers a novel contribution by delivering valuable insights into APM specifically tailored for practitioners. By identifying critical adoption challenges, it establishes a fundamental framework to facilitate and enhance the successful integration of APM practices within the construction industries of developing countries.