The temporal underpinnings of agile frameworks

This paper investigates how agile frameworks conceptualize time, a foundational bu underexplored dimension of projec organizing. Drawing on a conten analysis of three leading agile frameworks—Scrum, Scrum@Scale, and SAFe—we examine the temporal logics embedded in these frameworks through the lenses of time as resource, time as structure, and time as process. Our analysis yields three key contributions. First, we show how agile frameworks elevate speed to a central organizing principle, supported by structured coordination mechanisms and future-making devices. Second, we reveal how these frameworks embed overlapping temporal orientations—past, present, and future—challenging linear conceptions of time and reflecting the dynamics of temporal work. Third, we theorize emerging tensions between short-term responsiveness and long-term coherence, highlighting the ambivalence and complexity of managing multiple temporal horizons. These insights advance research on temporary organizations by unpacking the performative temporal logics underpinning agility and call for greater attention to how time is framed and structured in contemporary projec work.