One Size Does Not Fit All: How to Organize Hybrid Work in Agile Software Development?

Abstract

Background: Hybrid work, which combines remote and office work, has become common after the Covid-19 pandemic. While many software companies embrace hybrid work to retain talent, this shift challenges agile software development, which values in-person collaboration. However, adaptation is central to agility, so agile companies are adjusting to their evolving needs, including the rise of hybrid work. Aims: This study explores how different types of companies organize hybrid work in agile software development to fit their unique organizational contexts. Method: We conducted a comparative multiple case study based on 39 semi-structured interviews with developers, product owners, specialists, and managers from two companies. We studied two agile software development units at the Finnish R&D site of Ericsson, a mature global telecommunications company, and one unit at Kempower, a young Finnish industrial company. Results: The study found that hybrid work guidelines, infrastructures, events, and communities in agile software development varied significantly across the units, yet employees in each unit generally reported satisfaction with their arrangements. The approaches were shaped by multiple factors, e.g., how team members were dispersed geographically, whether collaboration was mainly internal or included external partners, and the company's maturity. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for agile software development in a hybrid work environment. Instead, the successful adoption of hybrid work requires context awareness.