Hybrid work in agile software development
Christensen, Emily Louisa Laue (2025-12-04)
Väitöskirja
04.12.2025
Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT
Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis
School of Engineering Science
School of Engineering Science, Tietotekniikka
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In reference to IEEE copyrighted material which is used with permission in this thesis, the IEEE does not endorse any of Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT's products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. If interested in reprinting/republishing IEEE copyrighted material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution, please go to http://www.ieee.org/publications_ standards/publications/rights/rights_link.html to learn how to obtain a License from RightsLink.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-412-371-6
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-412-371-6
Kuvaus
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Tiivistelmä
The rise of hybrid work, where employees work from diverse locations and with varying schedules, has introduced practical challenges for agile organizations and teams. This dissertation investigates how the shift from remote to hybrid work has influenced companies and teams within agile software development environments since the Covid-19 pandemic. The research aims to map the current state of the literature on the topic, and to explore organizational policies, team work arrangements and workspaces, and recurring meetings. The dissertation combines a systematic mapping of existing literature with empirical studies, including conceptual modeling and three exploratory case studies. Primary data were collected through 49 semi-structured interviews with participants from ten companies and analyzed using thematic analysis.
The results reveal a lack of empirical studies on hybrid work in agile software development and introduce a conceptual model and team typology that capture the complexity of software teams’ hybrid work arrangements. The findings also reveal how agile companies and teams have evolved their policies and work arrangements post-pandemic into a diverse spectrum, ranging from fully flexible to more structured and aligned approaches. In addition, the findings highlight that seating systems can impact agile team workspaces and collaboration, and the importance of aligning the format of recurring meetings with their intent.
The dissertation proposes future directions for research, including exploring the topic across diverse cultural and regional contexts, and from people and product-related perspectives. For practitioners, it emphasizes that policies for hybrid work should be contextsensitive, and that free seating and check-in systems can improve space efficiency but may hinder collaboration if not aligned with team office presence. It also highlights the importance of selecting meeting formats based on intent, recommending remote for information sharing presentations and in-person for brainstorming, active discussions, and social bonding.
The results reveal a lack of empirical studies on hybrid work in agile software development and introduce a conceptual model and team typology that capture the complexity of software teams’ hybrid work arrangements. The findings also reveal how agile companies and teams have evolved their policies and work arrangements post-pandemic into a diverse spectrum, ranging from fully flexible to more structured and aligned approaches. In addition, the findings highlight that seating systems can impact agile team workspaces and collaboration, and the importance of aligning the format of recurring meetings with their intent.
The dissertation proposes future directions for research, including exploring the topic across diverse cultural and regional contexts, and from people and product-related perspectives. For practitioners, it emphasizes that policies for hybrid work should be contextsensitive, and that free seating and check-in systems can improve space efficiency but may hinder collaboration if not aligned with team office presence. It also highlights the importance of selecting meeting formats based on intent, recommending remote for information sharing presentations and in-person for brainstorming, active discussions, and social bonding.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [1179]