[Kim_Bruning]

The way you word it, it sounds very much like a cargo cult phenomenon.

Copying the external trappings (Towers, runways, procedures.) , not the underlying goals or process (shipping cargo across the pacific).

I only do a small number of projects myself, but my understanding is that in a lot of places, people might follow "the agile process", rather than that they are aiming at actual Capital-A-Agility (where any and all process is merely a means to that end, and is rapidly tuned and adjusted as required) .

[drewcoo]

It was a general philosophy of how people can work together.

It lacked any of the specifics that typify cargo cults. It was the exact opposite of cargo cult - an actual understanding without any specific required rituals.

[Kim_Bruning]

I think you've read my comment backwards!

[EchoChamberMan]

How would one go about generalizing goals in the cargo cult example? To me, it would be something like "achieve your business goals," which while true, is not super useful. Maybe that would have been a better description though, given how much commodification is prioritized.