Hybrid Work in Agile Software Development: Recurring Meetings

2025-03-17

AI Summary

Large-scale agile organizations face inefficiencies in scheduling recurring meetings under hybrid work arrangements. Method: Drawing on 27 in-depth interviews across 15 teams from two Ericsson units, this study employs a single-case design and thematic coding analysis. Contribution/Results: It introduces, for the first time, the principle of selecting in-person versus remote modalities based on meeting intent—not convention: discussion-oriented meetings requiring deep interaction should be held in person with mandatory camera use, whereas information-synchronization meetings may be conducted remotely. The study further identifies community-building meetings as critical for mitigating collaboration silos and strengthening socio-relational ties. Based on these insights, it develops a meeting-type–format mapping guideline. The framework has been formally adopted by Ericsson to enhance its hybrid work practices, demonstrating tangible improvements in meeting effectiveness and team cohesion.

Technology Category

• Search and Optimization: Metareasoning and Metaheuristics
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Multiagent Systems: Agent Communication

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Agentic search
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic established hybrid work as the new norm in software development companies. In large-scale agile, meetings of different types are pivotal for collaboration, and decisions need to be taken on how they are organized and carried out in hybrid work. This study investigates how recurring meetings are organized and carried out in hybrid work in a large-scale agile environment. We performed a single case study by conducting 27 semi-structured interviews with members of 15 agile teams, product owners, managers, and specialists from two units of Ericsson, a multinational telecommunications company with a"2 days per week at the office"policy. A key insight from this study is that different types of meetings in agile software development should be primarily organized onsite or remotely based on the meeting intent, i.e., meetings requiring active discussion or brainstorming, such as retrospectives or technical discussions, benefit from onsite attendance, whereas large information sharing meetings work well remotely. In hybrid work, community meetings can contribute to knowledge sharing within organizations, help strengthen social ties, and prevent siloed collaboration. Additionally, the use of cameras is recommended for small discussion-oriented remote and hybrid meetings.

Problem

• Investigates organization of recurring meetings in hybrid agile environments.
• Explores optimal onsite vs. remote meeting formats based on intent.
• Examines role of community meetings in knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Innovation

• Organize meetings onsite or remotely based on intent.
• Use community meetings to enhance knowledge sharing.
• Recommend cameras for small discussion-oriented meetings.