BUS 4200 · Agile and Scrum: Scrum Theory

Led by W. Ross Ashby Simulacrum

The theoretical foundation of Scrum — Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety, empirical process control, the five values, and the Scrum skeleton.

1. Module 1

   The Law of Requisite Variety

   Led by W. Ross Ashby Simulacrum

   The question

   "Only variety can absorb variety." A thermostat with one setting cannot manage a hundred temperature zones. A team with a fixed plan cannot manage continuously changing requirements. What does this law imply about how Scrum teams are designed — and where does software development sit in the Cynefin framework?

   Outcome

   The student can state Ashby's Law and explain why cross-functional teams are variety amplifiers.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 1.1 Requisite Variety in Practice Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Begin the course → Print certificate of completion
2. Module 2

   Empirical Process Control: The Three Pillars

   Led by W. Ross Ashby Simulacrum

   The question

   Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation — the three pillars. Transparency is Ashby's sensor. Inspection is the comparator. Adaptation is the effector. What happens to the feedback loop when any one pillar is absent?

   Outcome

   The student can trace the Ashbian control loop through the Scrum framework and identify pillar violations.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 2.1 The Pillar in Practice Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
3. Module 3

   The Five Scrum Values

   Led by W. Ross Ashby Simulacrum

   The question

   Commitment, Courage, Focus, Openness, Respect are not aspirational — they are technically necessary for the feedback loop to function. A team that cannot be honest cannot provide reliable sensor data. What is psychological safety's role in the empirical control model?

   Outcome

   The student can explain why each value is technically necessary for empirical process control.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 3.1 Values Audit Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
4. Module 4

   The Scrum Skeleton

   Led by W. Ross Ashby Simulacrum

   The question

   The Scrum Guide is intentionally incomplete — only three accountabilities, five events, three artefacts, nothing else. Ashby's principle applied to the framework itself: minimum prescription maximises adaptability. What is the minimum viable Scrum — and what does a team add?

   Outcome

   The student can name all Scrum elements and explain why the framework is intentionally minimal.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 4.1 The Minimum Viable Scrum Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
5. Module 5

   Scrum Theory and the Learning Organisation

   Led by W. Ross Ashby Simulacrum

   The question

   The sprint creates a regular opportunity to update the model of the world. A team that inspects and adapts honestly becomes a learning organisation. What is double-loop learning — and what does Scrum Theory require of the team, the organisation, and the people who lead it?

   Outcome

   The student can describe Scrum as a learning system and connect Ashby's cybernetics to the sprint cycle.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 5.1 Final Essay: What Scrum Theory Requires Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion