Exploring the Prevalence of Anti-patterns in the Application of Scrum in Software Development Organizations

The paper presents a survey-based study that aimed to determine the prevalence of anti-patterns in the Scrum software development methodology.A total of 35 anti-patterns were selected from the literature review, and 42 respondents working in software development organizations located in Poland indicated whether they had encountered each anti-pattern in their organizations.The study found that "Unfinished Tasks" was the most prevalent anti-pattern, highlighting the importance of proper planning and task management within sprints.Additionally, several other common anti-patterns were identified, including daily scrums being extended beyond the recommended time, user stories not being fully refined, and the sprint goal not being defined at the sprint planning meeting.The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the current state of Scrum methodology in software development organizations and highlight areas where there is room for improvement.