Fostering a Sense of Belonging in Hybrid Work within Agile Software Development
The Agile Manifesto emphasizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, interaction in software development changed, and companies are trying to find new practices in the hybrid environment. Hybrid work research points to the benefits for the individual, whereas companies have begun to form new rules and policies to get employees back to offices. To find a balance benefiting all, companies need to find new ways to connect and communicate. Thus, fostering a sense of belonging in software development is becoming more crucial. We collected data on the sense of belonging in hybrid work through interviews (n=38) and a workshop with agile software development professionals (n=15). We state that the sense of belonging is built at the individual, team, and company levels. Continuous, conscious, and visible actions are needed at all levels to foster a sense of belonging. Especially social events are crucial in a hybrid environment.
Paper (CR_Submitted__XP2025___SOB_and_Hybrid_agile_work-1.pdf) | 240KiB |
Slides (XP_SenseOfBelonging.pdf) | 1.81MiB |
Tue 3 JunDisplayed time zone: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna change
11:00 - 12:30 | Inclusive CultureResearch Papers / Industry and Practice at 6.3A08 (Workshop / Session) Chair(s): Graziela Simone Tonin INSPER | ||
11:00 30mTalk | Fostering a Sense of Belonging in Hybrid Work within Agile Software Development Research Papers Sonja Hyrynsalmi LUT University, Fateme Broomandi LUT University, Iflaah Salman Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), Maria Paasivaara LUT University, Finland & Aalto University, Finland File Attached | ||
11:30 60mTalk | Are agile organizations really inclusive? Industry and Practice Ashay Saxena IBM File Attached |