Hybrid Work meets Agile Software Development: A Systematic Mapping Study
Dron Khanna, Emily Laue Christensen, Saagarika Gosu, Xiaofeng Wang, Maria Paasivaara
TL;DR
This paper addresses the emergence of hybrid work in agile software development by conducting a systematic mapping study. It identifies 12 empirical primary studies, mainly case studies, and maps them onto theoretical frameworks to characterize settings, tools, policies, and agile practices. The results reveal a post-pandemic uptick in research activity, a strong European/Nordic focus, and gaps in people- and organizational-level perspectives, along with a call for deeper, more varied investigations. The work serves as a baseline for guiding future empirical research and practice in hybrid agile teams.
Abstract
Hybrid work, a fusion of different work environments that allow employees to work in and outside their offices, represents a new frontier for agile researchers to explore. However, due to the nascent nature of the research phenomena, we are yet to achieve a good understanding of the research terrain formulated when hybrid work meets agile software development. This systematic mapping study, we aimed to provide a good understanding of this emerging research area. The systematic process we followed led to a collection of 12 primary studies, which is less than what we expected. All the papers are empirical studies, with most of them employing case studies as the research methodology. The people-centric nature of agile methods is yet to be adequately reflected in the studies in this area. Similarly, there is a lack of a richer understanding of hybrid work in terms of flexible work arrangements. Our mapping study identified various research opportunities that can be explored in future research.