Севара Мансурова
The banking sector is increasingly adopting innovative project management methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, and Lean to support digital transformation and improve agility. Yet, banks in emerging markets face specific challenges. This study analyzes managerial risks of adopting modern project management in Uzbekistan’s banking sector amid ongoing reforms and digitalization. Using literature review and qualitative surveys, the research identifies key barriers: cultural resistance, regulatory constraints, lack of skills and resources, and rigid legacy systems. Findings show that while Agile and Lean can enhance efficiency and customer focus, their implementation is limited by hierarchical culture, low awareness of frameworks, strict compliance demands, and outdated infrastructure. The discussion links these issues to global experience and proposes recommendations for managers and policymakers to enable agile transformation in a regulated transition economy. Overcoming these challenges is vital for Uzbekistan’s banks to unlock digital potential and remain competitive in a rapidly changing financial sector.
