Agile methods can deliver software that fulfills customer needs rapidly and continuously. Quality requirements (QRs) are important in this regard; however, detailed studies on how companies applying agile methods to manage QRs are limited, as are studies on the rationale for choosing specific QR management practices and related challenges. The aim of this study was to address why practitioners manage QRs as they do and what challenges they face. We also analyzed how existing practices mitigate some of the found challenges. Lastly, we connect the contextual elements of the companies with their practices and challenges. We conducted 36 interviews with practitioners from four companies of varying sizes. Since each company operates in different domains, comparing QR management strategies and related challenges in different contexts was possible. We found that the companies apply proactive, reactive, and interactive strategies to manage QRs. Additionally, our study revealed 40 challenges in six categories that companies applying agile methods may face in QR management. We also identified nine contextual elements that affect QR management practice choices and which, importantly, can explain many related challenges. Based on these findings, we constructed a theoretical model about the connection between context, QR management practices, and challenges. Practitioners in similar contexts can learn from the practices identified in this study. Our preliminary theoretical model can help other practitioners identify what challenges they can expect to face in QR management in different developmental contexts as well as which practices to apply to mitigate these challenges.

敏捷方法可以交付可快速，连续满足客户需求的软件。在这方面，质量要求（QR）很重要；但是，关于公司如何使用敏捷方法来管理QR的详细研究是有限的，关于选择特定QR管理实践的原理和相关挑战的研究也很有限。这项研究的目的是解决从业人员在管理QR的同时进行管理以及面临的挑战的原因。我们还分析了现有做法如何缓解了一些已发现的挑战。最后，我们将公司的环境元素与他们的实践和挑战联系在一起。我们对来自不同规模的四家公司的从业人员进行了36次访谈。由于每个公司都在不同的领域运营，因此有可能在不同情况下比较QR管理策略和相关挑战。我们发现，这些公司采用主动，被动和交互式策略来管理QR。此外，我们的研究还揭示了应用敏捷方法的公司在QR管理中可能面临的六个类别中的40个挑战。我们还确定了影响QR管理实践选择的9个上下文元素，这些元素可以解释许多相关的挑战，这一点很重要。基于这些发现，我们构建了一个有关上下文，QR管理实践和挑战之间联系的理论模型。在类似情况下的从业者可以从本研究中确定的实践中学习。我们的初步理论模型可以帮助其他从业者确定他们期望在不同发展背景下的QR管理中面临哪些挑战，以及可以采用哪些实践来缓解这些挑战。